Push To Stop Gay Marriage Hurting Economic Growth Posted: February 20, 2004 12:01 a.m. ET (New York City) The United States is losing its technological edge over Europe because policies such as a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage has put the nation at a disadvantage in competing for creative workers, according to a new economic study from a major university. The report, prepared for the Software Industry Center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, says that outsourcing jobs to third world countries is not as serious a long term problem is the country's failure to attract "creative class" workers to the US. The study by Richard Florida a Carnegie Mellon professor and a the author of the report says America has more to fear from Sweden and Finland than from China or India. Florida says that instead of worrying about large countries with low-cost manufacturing and business processing the U.S. government needs to pay attention to places that are attracting and mobilizing the talent needed for knowledge-based industries. "For years the United States possessed an unchallenged competitive advantage in its ability to attract the best and brightest from Europe, Scandinavia and around the world," Florida writes. "For the first time, that advantage seems to be imperiled." Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands "have considerable technological capabilities, have invested and continue to invest in developing creative talent and also appear to have the values and attitudes that are associated with the ability to attract creative people from the outside," Florida says. His study also identifies Ireland as "up-and-coming." But, America is no long attracting creative workers from abroad because it is seen as an intolerant society. He cites the lack of recognition of same-sex couples and the battle over gay marriage, and policies restricting stem cell research and the tightening of visa requirements as reasons the world's brightest are no longer seeking to come to the US to work. "The ability to compete and prosper in the global economy goes beyond trade in goods and services and flows of capital and investment. Instead, it increasingly turns on the ability of nations to attract, retain and develop creative people," Florida writes. In a ranking of states Florida found those with DOMA or which did not offer civil rights protections for gays at the bottom of the productivity list. by Doug Windsor 365Gay.com Newscenter New York Bureau ©365Gay.com® 2004 * close this window * go back to the website