Nearly 1 percent of California households – about 126,000 homes – are headed by same-sex couples, according to statistics from the 2010 census. The numbers show nearly a quarter of California’s same-sex couples are raising children. These families say that society is increasingly adjusting to having them and their children around. And to increase their visibility, more same-sex couples are conscious about identifying themselves on census forms. Gay and lesbian couples are identified in the census when the head of a household reports living with a “husband\/wife” or an “unmarried partner” of the same sex. It is clear that the number of openly same-sex couples statewide has grown substantially in the last decade. Same-sex couples in California’s suburbs and rural areas are more likely than their urban counterparts to be raising children. National studies show that about 19 percent of the children of same-sex couples are adopted. Many more are children from previous heterosexual relationships. Statewide, lesbian partners are also more likely than gay males to be raising children – 32 percent of lesbian households have kids, compared to 17.8 percent of gay male couples.<\/p>\n