WALNUT CREEK — When they prepared for marriage a decade ago, Cheryl Dumesnil and Tracie Vickers contemplated living in San Francisco, where other gay and lesbian families would surround them, or venturing back to the suburbs where they grew up.

Their choice of central Contra Costa County made them pioneers, the first two-mom family in their leafy Walnut Creek neighborhood.

“This is Tracie’s suburban dream,” Dumesnil said inside their ranch house Tuesday, as the couple’s 6-year-old son, Brennan, quietly read a book and 4-year-old Kian marched through the kitchen, a singing troubadour strumming a white guitar. Neighbors have welcomed this family with cookies and open arms.

“So after saying I would never move back to the suburbs, here I am,” Dumesnil said.

The family of four is among nearly 1 percent of California households — about 126,000 homes — headed by same-sex couples, according to statistics from the 2010 census being released Thursday. The numbers, if they are accurate, show nearly a quarter of California’s same-sex couples are raising children.

While San Francisco remains a gay hub — the city has more than 10,000 gay and lesbian couples, compared to fewer than 300 in Walnut Creek — the census found same-sex couples in every corner of the state, and revealed that those who live in many suburban and rural areas are far more likely to have kids.

“We’re not just some special interest group concentrated in major urban centers,” Dumesnil said. “We’re actually everywhere, and just trying to live a legally protected and fulfilling life.”

Fifteen years after the federal Defense of Marriage Act banned gay marriage and seven years after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom defiantly ordered that licenses be granted to same-sex couples, gay and lesbian families remain in the political cross hairs but also say that society is increasingly adjusting to having them — and their children — around. In turn, whether or not they were counted before, more same-sex couples are conscious about identifying themselves on census forms.

Demographers caution that the numbers may overcount same-sex couples because of opposite-sex couples who miscoded themselves on a confusing form. The errors are amplified because there are far more opposite-sex couples than same-sex couples.

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. Changes in the way the Census Bureau counts same-sex couples make it hard to accurately compare to the 2000 census, when the tally found more than 92,000 same-sex couples in California.
It is clear, however, that the number of openly same-sex couples statewide has grown substantially in the last decade.

“We do have evidence that over time, increasing numbers of people are willing to report (same-sex partnerships),” said demographer Gary Gates of UCLA’s Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law. “We’ve seen those increases being the largest outside the known gay areas. I’d expect you’d see those increases larger in the Central Valley than in San Francisco.”

Same-sex couples in the suburbs and rural areas also are far 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, Gates said. Many more are children from previous heterosexual relationships.

“That kind of pattern is much more common in conservative areas where people come out later in life,” Gates said. “The further you get away from San Francisco, the larger proportion of same-sex couples are raising kids.”

For some same-sex couples, living in the outer regions of the Bay Area still seems like being on a cultural frontier.

The census counted 138 gay male couples in Antioch last year, and found that 30 percent of them have kids. However, partners Joe Horacek and Jonathan Lee know just one other family like them living on the other side of town.

The family moved to Antioch from South San Francisco in 2004 because they wanted a bigger, more affordable house to raise their three adopted children. Horacek and Lee were among about 18,000 same-sex couples who married during six months in 2008 when gay marriage was legal in the state before voters passed Proposition 8. Living in Antioch was easier when the kids were young; their oldest children, 14 and 13, are now struggling to fit in to a community where two dads are a rarity.

“My son has encountered some negative reactions from kids on Facebook,” said Horacek, a local teacher. “We don’t want to be the ones who put the targets on their back. All kids get picked on for something, but usually it has to do with them. We’re adding this extra liability for them fitting in.”

Hosts who greet the family of five at local restaurants sometimes mistake them for two separate parties. Since their 9-year-old daughter has no mom, a principal recently asked if she could play the role for a Mother’s Day tea. Usually, a polite conversation smooths an adult’s confusion, but the couple sometimes wonders if life would be easier for their kids on the other side of the East Bay hills.

“For the most part, no one has questioned us or given us any problems, but there are more assumptions out here that the kids have both a mom and a dad,” Horacek said. “I know that in places like Berkeley and Alameda County, in particular, conversations about different kinds of families and same-sex relationships are part of the school curriculum. Out here, it’s not necessarily the case.”

Three percent of San Francisco households and slightly more than 2 percent of Oakland, Berkeley, and Emeryville households are headed by same-sex couples, making these the Bay Area cities with the highest concentration of gay and lesbian partners. Other East Bay cities run close behind, and most of the neighborhoods outside San Francisco with the highest number of same-sex couples, according to the census, stretch along the foothills of East Oakland.

East Bay same-sex couples also are more likely to have kids than their San Francisco counterparts, though the same is also true for straight couples. A little more than 4 percent of San Francisco’s gay male couples and 19 percent of its lesbian couples have kids, compared to 11 percent of gay male couples and 22 percent of lesbian couples in Oakland.

Maya Scott-Chung and her multiracial family also chose the East Bay because she found it more diverse.

“It wasn’t just because we could afford to buy a house here, though that was a part of it,” said Scott-Chung, who lives with her transgender partner and their daughter in Oakland’s San Antonio district. “It matters to us to live in Oakland because it’s one of the most culturally, linguistically and economically diverse places in the Bay Area and probably in the world. There’s a huge number of lesbian and two-mom families here.”

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. Horacek said that being a minority among minorities in a place like Antioch can be exciting and a little frightening.

“Obviously gay people have been in relationships for centuries, but this seems to be the first generation where it’s happening in numbers, especially adding kids to the family,” he said. “We sometimes feel like we’re soldiers on the front line. Change is afoot, but still, it’s not mainstream here.”

Dumesnil said she and her wife have witnessed perceptions slowly change in Walnut Creek as they interact with straight families at school functions and in their neighborhood.

“Somebody’s got to be out here,” she said. “In a way, having the kids was the great equalizer.”

Bay Area Cities with
the highest percentage
of same-sex couples

Guerneville: 7.6 percent of all households headed by same-sex couples (176 same-sex couples)
San Francisco: 3 percent (10,384)
Oakland: 2.2 percent (3,442)
Emeryville: 2.1 percent (119)
Berkeley: 2.1 percent (961)
El Cerrito: 1.9 percent (189)
Pacifica: 1.7 percent (237)
Albany: 1.7 percent (123)
Alameda: 1.5 percent (459)
San Rafael: 1.3 percent (301)
Vallejo: 1.2 percent (497)
Santa Rosa: 1.2 percent (757)
Richmond: 1.2 percent (427)
Concord: 1.2 percent (512)
Pleasant Hill: 1.1 percent (152)
San Leandro: 1.1 percent (326)

statewide figures on households

49%
Households headed by
husband-wife married couples

6.2%
Households headed by opposite-sex unmarried partners
1%
Households headed by
same-sex partners

43.4%
Resident doesn’t live with
a spouse or unmarried partner

The post Census statistics present quarter of California same-sex {couples} elevating children – East Bay Occasions appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

• Biggest riser: Indianapolis Colts (up four spots since Week 5)

• Biggest faller: New York Giants (down nine spots since Week 5)

• Dig into the numbers for yourself: PFF’s Premium Stats is the most in-depth collection of NFL and NCAA player performance data. Subscribe today to get full access!

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

You can find a statistical review of Week 5 here.

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

1. San Francisco 49ers (No change)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (No change)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (up 3)
4. Buffalo Bills (down 1)
5. Miami Dolphins (down 1)
6. Dallas Cowboys (down 1)
7. Detroit Lions (up 1)
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (up 1)
9. Baltimore Ravens (down 2)
10. Los Angeles Chargers (no change)
11. Cleveland Browns (no change)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (no change)
13. Seattle Seahawks (no change)
14. Minnesota Vikings (no change)
15. New York Jets (up 1)
16. New Orleans Saints (up 3)
17. Green Bay Packers (down 2)
18. Washington Commanders (down 1)
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (down 1)
20. Indianapolis Colts (up 4)
21. Los Angeles Rams (up 1)
22. Atlanta Falcons (up 1)
23. Tennessee Titans (down 2)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (up 3)
25. Denver Broncos (up 1)
26. Houston Texans (up 2)
27. Las Vegas Raiders (up 2)
28. Arizona Cardinals (up 2)
29. New York Giants (down 9)
30. New England Patriots (down 5)
31. Carolina Panthers (no change)
32. Chicago Bears (no change)

The Patriots are struggling. They earned just a 52.3 team passing grade and generated the fewest expected points added (EPA) per play (-0.72) on offense in Week 5. They were successful on only 17.6% of their plays, the lowest rate in the league.

The Bears generated a league-leading 0.27 EPA per play on offense in Week 5, with the offense also ranking first in receiving yards after the catch per reception (10.4). Wide receiver D.J. Moore put up a 92.8 receiving grade, the best mark of his season, thanks to a massive three-touchdown and 230-yard game.

The Commanders called 55 consecutive pass plays from early in the second quarter until the end of the game — a PFF record — racking up a league-high 378 passing yards in the process. However, it still wasn’t enough to save themselves from falling to the Bears at home. 

We’re also reaching the part of the season when injuries start to pile up. Players such as Justin Jefferson, De’Von Achane  and Travis Kelce are now dealing with injuries, so we hope these players and their teams bounce back quickly.

Biggest Riser: Indianapolis Colts

Despite losing quarterback Anthony Richardson mid-game again, the Colts got another win to improve to 3-2. The offensive line looks much improved, with all starters ranking in the top 25% at their respective positions in PFF grade.

While the injury to Richardson certainly hurts, Gardner Minshew is one of the game’s better backups and has posted PFF grades near the 70s in his limited time paired with now-head coach Shane Steichen.

Biggest Faller: New York Giants

It has been tough sledding for the Giants, who are riding a three-game losing streak heading into Week 6. The offensive line has been a train wreck — no lineman has graded above 52.0, and the starting tackles currently rank second- and third-worst at the position. 

The result is that Daniel Jones has been sacked 31 times, and the Giants are generating the second-fewest EPA per play on offense. Entering Week 6, they have a 10% chance of picking first overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and a 48% chance of picking in the top five. 

WAR Lost to Injuries

Note: At the time this graphic was created, De’Von Achane and Tyreek Hill were listed as active.

 Von Miller played only 20 snaps against the Jaguars, but he is back from injury nonetheless. Miller has graded above 85.0 in nine of his 11 seasons as a pro and is quite easily one of the best pass-rushers in modern NFL history. Look for him to make an impact with Matt Milano and DaQuan Jones likely out for the rest of the season.

As if Minnesota’s season couldn’t get any worse, Justin Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 and has since been placed on the injured reserve. The team now needs rookie Jordan Addison (65.1 PFF grade), K.J. Osborn (51.6) and Brandon Powell (70.0 on 28 snaps) to step up in a big way.

The Vikings face the 49ers in two weeks, a tough matchup even with the star pass-catcher in the lineup. According to PFF Greenline, they have had the fourth-hardest schedule to date, but they have the 15th-hardest schedule the rest of the way.

PFF’s Best Bets Tool uses PFF data to uncover the biggest edges in the betting market. See lineups, injury information, line movement, team comparisons and more!

Dolphins offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn (-0.05 WAR) suffered a neck injury against the Giants in Week 5. While he has not performed well this season, grading negatively on more than 28% of his snaps, the Dolphins are thin along the offensive line. On top of that, Miami also lost De’Von Achane to a knee injury. His backups, Raheem Mostert and Salvon Ahmed, should be able to carry his workload in a scheme that is extraordinarily favorable to the position.

The Cardinals’ leading rusher, James Conner, left last week’s game with a knee injury. The team’s backups have not done much so far this season, with quarterback Joshua Dobbs coming behind Conner in rushing yards.

Click here to see player usage and performance for all 32 teams ahead of Week 6.

Late-Down Decision-Making

The graphic above shows how teams have fared in terms of EPA per play when they go for it on fourth downs. Ironically, the Buccaneers have gone for it the least of any team but have been incredibly successful when they have gone for it. 

The Vikings were aggressive on fourth downs in Week 5, going for it five times. On the year, they’re third in the league in EPA per play on fourth downs at 1.52. 

The Raiders’ win against the Packers was not due to their aggressiveness on fourth down. They punted four times and kicked three field goals, two of which were unsuccessful.

Game Finishers

Note: This graphic includes overtime.

It’s been difficult for teams to stop the 49ers and the Eagles at any time in the game, as you can see above. On top of that, the Eagles defense does not allow their opponents to score often. Through five weeks, 68.6% of their opponents’ drives have ended in no points.

The Patriots offense is reaching a decades-long low point. Belichick’s squad ranks last in the league in EPA per play in both the first and second half. 

This week, the Colts led the league in second-half EPA per play (0.35) against the Titans. As they continue to increase RB Jonathan Taylor’s reps, look for him to make a significant impact. Indy hasn’t been very successful at converting drives, but last week, the team finished sixth in successful drive rate at 50%.

The Trenches

The Saints move up in this metric after an excellent performance against the Patriots on both sides of the ball. Center Erik McCoy was the highest-graded offensive lineman this week (94.4), while the Saints defensive line finished top-five in pressures (16), pressure rate (39.4%) and pass-rush grade (79.6).

Although the Cowboys offensive line usually protects the quarterback well, they struggled this week, allowing pressure on 56.7% of their passing snaps. They posted the worst pass-blocking grade of their season as a result (28.3).

Defensive Success

The Dolphins defense has not been otherwordly this season, but it was successful against the Giants in Week 5. They allowed -0.113 EPA per play, the seventh-best mark in the league. Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins earned a season-best 92.0 pass-rush grade and won one-third of his reps. 

Aidan Hutchinson continues to perform at a high level and earned a career-best 94.1 overall grade in Week 5. The rest of the Lions pass rush as a whole is fairly average, however, as the unit ranks 19th in pass-rush grade through Week 5.

Although the Broncos defense has struggled this season, they have a few bright spots. Alex Singleton posted a 79.9 run-defense grade this week, fifth among linebackers. Defensive end Zach Allen earned an 80.8 pass-rush grade that ranked sixth.

Perfectly Covering Plays

Kyle Shanahan’s offense is moving further away from the pack when it comes to forcing broken coverage on offense.

After a hot start, Mike McDaniel’s offense has cooled down a little bit, but he is still one of the best play-callers in terms of scheming open players, and it helps to have the dynamic duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

On the other end of the spectrum, Matt Canada and Eric Bienemy’s offenses haven’t been that good at forcing coverage mistakes, with both ranking at the bottom of the league in this metric.

Sustaining Drives on Offense

The Rams took the throne from the Bills as the top team at avoiding three-and-outs so far this season. They were able to get past that first series pretty consistently against the Eagles but stalled after that due to bad pass protection from the offensive line.

The Cardinals also fell closer to the league average this week after finishing in second place in this metric in Week 4.

The post NFL Week 6 Energy Rankings: San Francisco 49ers stay on high, Philadelphia Eagles crack the highest 3 | NFL Information, Rankings and Statistics appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Mayor London Breed pledged continued support for the community, saying that she suspects actual numbers are much higher because people are reluctant to report to the police. The initial count shows 60 victims in 2021, up from nine in 2020. Half of last year’s victims were allegedly targeted by one man.

It would have broken her heart if the grandmother who raised her had been attacked “in the way that we see so many of our seniors of the AAPI community being attacked,” Breed said at Tuesday’s press conference. “But that did not happen. Because as a community we protected one another. And that’s what we have to do now more than ever.”

RELATED: What to know about the ‘model minority’ myth and why it’s harmful to the AAPI community

Hateful attacks against the AAPI community – Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – surged nationally during the pandemic, fueled in part by then-President Donald Trump’s calling COVID-19 a derogatory nickname that insulted China. The Stop AAPI Hate coalition out of San Francisco State University collected more than 10,000 incidents of hate from March 2020 through September 2021.

In San Francisco and elsewhere, video clips of Asian Americans being attacked and robbed on public streets alarmed the community so much that frightened seniors stayed home. Most recently, former San Francisco Bay Area resident Michelle Go died in New York City after a mentally disturbed man pushed her in front of a subway. Officials there say there is no indication the man was motivated by racial bias, but Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are still rattled.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said at Tuesday’s news conference they have expanded the crime tip line to include more languages ​​and are sharing safety tips for Lunar New Year celebrations. But he also acknowledged that his department is only part of a criminal justice system that includes prosecution and judges.

RELATED: The story behind the stories about rising hate crimes against Asian Americans

Statistics do not show the whole picture because not everyone reports incidents. Also, prosecutors are unable to tack on hate crime enhancements without a clear statement of bias by the alleged attacker. This has frustrated some victims and their families, who see the charge as a sign of accountability.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who faces a recall election in June, has come under fire from some Asian American victims.

On Tuesday, lawyers for Anh L filed a federal lawsuit against Boudin, saying that his office has systemically refused to uphold the rights of Asian Americans victimized by racial violence. L says the DA’s office never informed him of a lenient plea deal cut with his attackers or the lack of a hate crime charge until after the fact.

Rachel Marshall, a spokeswoman for the DA, said in a statement that Boudin has been a “steadfast advocate” for improved services and support for the AAPI community. He has added multi-lingual advocates to his office and launched an AAPI elder abuse steering committee, she said.

The mayor at Tuesday’s news conference declined to comment on the lawsuit.

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