The impact of California's marriage law on gay and lesbian families

This study examined the implications of the California marriage law's exclusion of gay and lesbian couples and families. Specifically, this study explored the following four interrelated areas: (a) respondents' knowledge of the marriage law, (b) awareness of legal options, (c) attitudes toward the marriage law, and (d) how the marriage law affects lesbians and gays economically, politically, and socially. Twenty gay and lesbian couples participated in a nonprobability, survey sample. The study's findings showed a significant relationship between respondents' knowledge of the marriage law and their attitudes toward and implications of the law. The findings also showed a significant relationship between knowledge of legal options and respondents' attitudes toward and implications of the law. Overall, respondents reported being affected by their exclusion from the California marriage law. Suggestions for future research are presented and practice implications are discussed.