Percy's Big Gay Economic Development Plan
Posted by Percy Walker at Wednesday, November 15. 2006 and is filed under Gays,Development Plans,Percy on the Issues 
Fact: 25% of billionaires are gay* (in whole or part).
Fact: 27% of hedge fund managers are gay (in whole or part).
Fact: 54% of adult gays are college grads (compared with 28% of the general population).
Fact: The average income of adult gays is $53,500 (compared with $32,000 for the general population).
With that kind of brain power and economic clout, shouldn't we be recruiting more gays to move here? Yes, we should!
Twenty-seven states ban same-sex marriage in their constitutions; Fourteen others ban same-sex marriage legislatively. That's 41 states' worth of gays that need a place to gay marry and settle down. LET'S MAKE GUILFORD COUNTY THAT PLACE.
We could use the entrepreneurial spirit, the ingenuity and the cold hard cash that gays would infuse into this place. BUT WE NEED TO ACT FAST. New York just elected a governor who has promised to introduce pro-same-sex marriage legislation. If New York passes such legislation, we will lose a big part of our competitive advantage.
Here's my proposal:
First, get the NC legislature to pass pro-same-sex marriage legislation.
Second, offer $100,000 to every gay that moves to Guilford County ($50,000 if they are only bisexual).
I see this as a spectacular economic development opportunity for this area and I'm willing to match dollar for dollar (up to $1 billion) every dollar pledged to the cause. Please indicate your pledge amount by e-mail or in the comments section.
*The term "gay" also includes lesbians.
Update: David Wharton reveals the inspirational force behind my plan.
2 girls?...gay idea
...guess you invented the internet
well, since you put it that way, we should have no problem at all getting the republican caucus to sign on.
: O
Hey... Let's use the Religious Right's arguments against them:
"Homosexuals are among the most economically advantaged people in our country. Research by marketing firms shows that as a group homosexuals have higher than average per-capita annual incomes ($36,800 vs. $12,287), are more likely to hold college degrees (59.6 percent vs. 18 percent), have professional or managerial positions (49 percent vs. 15.9 percent..." - Robert Knight, Family Research Council, testifying before the US Senate Labor Committee, July 29, 1994.
That is just a little interesting thing I found online. Info on this stuff is pretty hard to find, I'll tell you that.
I found a study online that also states that gay men are more likely to have a college education, although the study also says that gay men have a slightly lower income (the study is from 2004, but the income numbers are from 1989, long before some of the better progressive, anti-discrimination moves of local and state governments). Check it.
Oh... and some more interesting numbers from a study out of The University of Georgia:
The gay population is estimated at 16.5 million and gay buying power is estimated to be at $450 billion. The per capita buying power of gays is $27.3K, as compared with the per capita buying power of African-Americans at $17.8K and Hispanics and $12.4K.
I'm pretty sure my numbers on billionaires and hedge fund managers are correct since I know so many of them. I was a little sketchy on the rest. Thanks for the info., Matt!
More buying power info...
Gay buying power projected at $641 billion in 2006.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=61007
Do you know what this makes you, Percy? It makes you a ... wait for it ... Gaysayer!
So I'm curious - is being gay a causal factor, or just correlative? If it's the latter - what are the causal factors that create an above average group like that? Is there any research floating around out there about that?
Oh, being gay is totally linked to affluence and wealth. As soon as I came out of the closet I was handed a check, an iMac, a BMW, and some amazing hair products. You'd be surprised what straight people have to go through to get that kind of respect.
Pax,
Matthew
Um, I think you skipped step #0: get the NC legislature to repeal its bigoted "Defense of Marriage" law.
Just curious - how does one prove gayness when applying for these benefits?
Blood tests? Being able to read the latest issue of Vanity Fair in under an hour? Public blow jobs?
I vote for the last selection. That would provide entertainment for the masses until the new season of HBO dramas resume.
If you can read the latest VF in under an hour you’re definitely not gay enough! The articles, the ads, the fashions in the articles, the fashions in the ads, the perfume samples, why VF is an entire Sunday of joy for any true gay man!
Of course, then there are the Bears, who read Field & Stream and dress like bulldykes, they’re the real hard ones to ID...
Percy,
Lord have Percy! You are handsome! I figured I'd ask you a question. Any financial advise for a struggling actor in LA. I'm burnt out on waiting tables, but need time to go on auditions so a "real job" is kind of not a feasable option at the moment! any ideas on what I could do
Hollywood -- You should put your acting skills to work as a manager of an investment fund focused on entertainment projects. Did you know that hedge funds financed the Borat movie? My suggestion is that you raise a modest sum -- say, $50 million -- from friends and family to get started. As a fund manager you should still have time for auditions. Good luck!
Percy Hi I too agree you are a handsome man...but on to the question at hand...I am a prof. gwm in Indiana I make about $110K / yr but always seem to be broke. I dont shop that much but tend to endulge on big ticked Items (ie plasma T.V.'s etc and rewarded myself w. a BMW Z3) I do participate in a retirement program and buy Treasury Bonds every month. What more can I do to increase my net worth. (besides being more frugel hehe ) Thanks in advance for your advice