The number of same-sex couple households in the U.S. has surpassed 1 million for the first time, according to recently released government data. 

There were more than 1.2 million same-sex couple households across the country in 2021, up from 540,000 in 2008, an increase of over 120%, the data, taken from the Census Bureau's annual American Community Survey, showed. About 710,000 (59.2%) of the same-sex couple households were married, and about 500,000 (41.7%) were unmarried. 

 

The number of married same-sex households started to outnumber unmarried same-sex households in 2016, following the Supreme Court’s landmark 2015 Obergefell vs. Hodges ruling, which effectively legalized gay marriage across the U.S.

The release of this new data coincides with the advancement of landmark legislation that codifies federal protection for marriages of same-sex couples. The Respect for Marriage Act was approved 61-36 in the Senate and now returns to the House for a final vote before it can go to President Joe Biden, who has said he looks forward to enacting it.

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