Research
Publications
“Does It Get Better? Recent Estimates of Sexual Orientation and Earnings in the United States” Christopher S. Carpenter and Samuel T. Eppink, Southern Economic Journal (2017) 52 63-73.
Using 2013–2015 National Health Interview Survey data, we reproduce a well- documented finding that self-identified lesbians earn significantly more than comparable heterosexual women. These data also show—for the first time in the literature—that self-identified gay men also earn significantly more than comparable heterosexual men, a difference on the order of 10% of annual earnings. We discuss several possible explanations for the new finding of a gay male earnings premium and suggest that reduced discrimination and changing patterns of household specialization are unlikely to be the primary mechanisms.
Working Papers
“Legal Access to Same-Sex Marriage and Sexually Transmitted Infections” [Job Market Paper]
This paper explores the relationship between legal access to same- sex marriage and rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia using data from the CDC’s National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System from 1995 through 2017. By exploiting variation in legal same-sex marriage across states and time, I estimate a series of dynamic difference-in-differences models. Results provide new evidence that legal same-sex marriage is associated with a significant decrease in syphilis rates, an especially strong proxy for risky sex between men who have sex with men. This relationship appears to be driven largely by men and young adults. An analysis using internet search data suggests reductions in syphilis may be due in part to a same-sex marriage induced increase in treatment seeking behavior.
“Transgender Status, Gender Identity, and Socioeconomic Outcomes in the United States” (with Christopher S. Carpenter and Gilbert Gonzales). Revised and Resubmitted to Industrial and Labor Relations Review.
We provide the first large-scale evidence on transgender status, gender identity, and socioeconomic outcomes in the United States using representative data from 31 states in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) that asked identical questions about transgender status and gender identity in at least one year from 2014-2016. Over 1,500 18-64 year olds identified as transgender. Individuals who identify as transgender are significantly less likely to be college educated and less likely to identify as heterosexual than individuals who do not identify as transgender. Controlling for these and other observed characteristics, transgender individuals have significantly lower employment rates, lower household incomes, higher poverty rates, and worse self-rated health than otherwise similar men who are not transgender. Differences in household structure account for a substantial share of these differences.
We exploit variation in access to legal same-sex marriage (SSM) across states and time to provide novel evidence of its effects on marriage and health using data from the CDC BRFSS from 2000- 2016. We relate changes in outcomes for individuals in same-sex households (SSH) coincident with adoption of legal SSM in two- way fixed effects models. We find robust evidence that access to legal SSM significantly increased marriage take-up among men and women in SSH. We also find that legal SSM was associated with significant increases in health insurance, access to care, and utilization for men in SSH.
Work in Progress
“How the Cost of College Affects Student Major Choice: Evidence From Merit Aid Scholarships”
“Measuring Wage Compensation for Exposure to Carcinogenic Chemicals” (with Caroline Abraham)