Region saw increase in same-sex households
Census showed strong growth in Wilmington, all three local counties
Published: Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 7:36 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, June 30, 2011 at 7:36 a.m.
John McLaughlin moved to Wilmington in December and discovered a community that appeared to welcome him and other gay and lesbian people.
Maybe that's because McLaughlin, a Washington, D.C., native, moved here to serve as reverend of the St. Jude's Metropolitan Community Church, a nondenominational church that reaches out to people who are gay and lesbian.
But there are also a growing number of gay and lesbian people in Wilmington, and a set of 2010 census data released about North Carolina this week shows more same-sex couples live in Wilmington and in Brunswick, New Hanover and Pender counties than 10 years ago.
Statewide, 27,250 same-sex couples reported living together on the 2010 census compared with 16,198 a decade ago. That includes 701 gay or lesbian couples in New Hanover County – a 109 percent increase over the number of same-sex couples living together in 2000.
And compared to other North Carolina counties with more than 10,000 households, New Hanover County has the 13th highest percentage of same-sex couples living under the same roof.
Buncombe County, which includes Asheville, led the list.
The City of Wilmington and Brunswick and Pender counties also show increases in the number of same-sex couples living together.
Increases could be attributed to the growth in overall population since the 2000 census – New Hanover grew by 26.4 percent.
But some say the area has evolved into a more an attractive and welcoming place for the gay and lesbian community.
"Being a longtime resident of Wilmington, I have definitely seen a lot of changes. I would agree that compared to 10 years ago, Wilmington's LGBTQ community is more active and visible," said Lynn Casper, who started a resource this year for queer and allied music lovers called HOMOGROUND.
She said the influx of people from different backgrounds have made the city more progressive and open-minded.
But that hasn't always been the case, Casper said.
"There are definitely places we can go and feel comfortable, but there is still a heavy blanket of discrimination that people turn a blind eye to," she said.
Casper grew up outside the city limits of Wilmington, but it wasn't until she in college was started hanging out downtown when she felt accepted for her sexuality.
"After meeting more and more people who felt the same way and accepted me, I started getting involved in activism," she said, adding she narrowed her focus to advocating equality for the gay community.
McLaughlin said a nationwide trend in people being more accepting and open-minded about same-sex couples is apparent in Wilmington, too.
He said many local religious leaders, regardless of their views on same-sex marriage, appeared to fairly address same-sex relationships rather than condemning it a sin.
Several children of gay or lesbian couples also are members of his church's congregation. Census data reveals that more than 7,100 same-sex couples in North Carolina have children under the age of 18.
But he said he wouldn't ascribe the welcoming attitude to the entire state in light of a General Assembly bill introduced this year that would "amend the constitution to provide that marriage is the union of one man and one woman at one time, and that no other relationship shall be recognized as a valid marriage by the state."
Maryellen Wheeler is president of the Wilmington chapter of PFLAG – Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, with members who are mostly parents of gay or lesbian children.
She said despite a noticeable shift in attitudes toward gay people, challenges still remain.
"You don't announce in North Carolina that you're gay unless you work for an extremely gay-friendly business," Wheeler said.
She added that she isn't sure whether the state will allow same-sex marriage in her lifetime, but she said the latest census data points to a need for legislation allowing it.
Casper said she can't even count how many couples she knows living together and raising children in Wilmington and elsewhere in the state.
In Wilmington, there are 7.6 same-sex couples per every 1,000 households, according to census data.
And Casper said that figure shows a need for gay marriage in the state.
"Legislation isn't going to prevent people from being gay," she said. "It just makes things harder on us. We are still going to love who we love and start families."
Shannan Bowen: 343-2016
On Twitter: @shanbow
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