A reader writes:
Another explanation I have heard for the concentration in red states is that these are folks who came out later in life (due to social/religious conservatism of their communities) and already had kids from straight relationships.
Another points to a NYT report from January supporting that thesis. Another writes:
The list of metro areas that have the highest percentage of same-sex couples raising young children is hardly "surprising". New York and San Francisco are not on that list because they have fewer child-raising families of all kinds. Where's the comparison to opposite-sex and single-parent households?
Another:
We (a heterosexual married couple) were living in San Francisco when our first child was born. We lasted less than a year as SF parents before decamping for Raleigh, NC. It's really tough to have kids in the high-cost-of-living gay meccas like SF or NYC, mainly because of the monetary costs associated with having kids. I expect that the "Where the Gay Families Are" list would very closely mirror a list of where families are – period.
Another:
All families - gay and straight – are fleeing San Francisco at an alarming rate. This is happening because of a lacking school system that suffers from political posturing, the insanely high cost of living, a crappy transportation system, and, of course, crime.
The Dish 