The Next Census Will Ask About Same-Sex Couples

[brooklynite]

Source: Huffington Post

The 2020 census will ask couples residing in U.S. households to define their relationship in a new way: “same-sex” or “opposite-sex.”

The question ― the first serious attempt by the Census Bureau to identify the number of LGBTQ couples in America ― was noted in a Thursday report to Congress by the bureau. You can read that report here.

Wendy Becker, who married her longtime partner, Mary Norton, in Massachusetts in 2006, told NPR that she welcomes the change.

“It really normalizes our experience on an American government form so that everybody looking at it and everybody filling it out sees that we exist,” said Becker, who is part of an early census test run in Rhode Island.

Read more: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/2020-census-same-sex-couples_us_5ac259dee4b04646b644fd5e

[TranssexualKaren]

1. I have to say....

I’ve never encountered a gay couple who weren’t proud of their relationship. What do any of you think?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. I thought they had nixed that question.

Oh: it's just SS married couples. If gay and not SS married, not counted.

NATIONAL

2020 Census Will Ask About Same-Sex Relationships
3:48

March 30, 20185:02 AM ET
Heard on Morning Edition
....

'Missing pieces'

Still, Becker acknowledges that adding categories for same-sex spouses and unmarried partners on the 2020 census leaves out many LGBT people.

"If this is about how resources are spent or given to communities and we are talking about the LGBTQ community, not everyone is married or in a relationship," says Ronald Lewis, an out gay man who is currently single.

Living in Providence, R.I., Lewis has received a letter from the Census Bureau about participating in the test for the 2020 census. But the questionnaire won't have a space for him and other LGBT people who are not living with a spouse or unmarried partner to indicate their sexual orientation. That means for now, there are no reliable national data about how many LGBT people live in the U.S. that can inform public policy.

So far, the census has not included specific questions about sexual orientation or gender identity, although in 2016, the Census Bureau received requests from the Justice Department and three other federal agencies for those question topics to be added to a smaller, annual survey the bureau also conducts — the American Community Survey. (The bureau's decision not to propose adding the topics to the survey has sparked much controversy.)

[TranssexualKaren]

3. Yes, but do you think...

Gays are going to be intimidated by this?
Granted, there’s no danger in revealing to someone as myself who is transgendered, but to a cold hearted census worker surely they must realize that there’s no danger.

[IronLionZion]

4. When they count out how many are out there

the GOP should feel intimidated, not gays.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. It's not entirely new-- the American Community Survey has had same-sex partners as...

a category for at least a year now.

But digging deeper into one's sexuality? If one is trans, that's easy-- just answer the gender question. For other questions about sexuality, I'm not sure it's gummint's business to ask. And if the question is asked, just how much do they ask about your sex life?

[jmowreader]

6. Considering who the president is, I would be worried

Any other president, no problem. The one we have is a gay-hostile fascist who, if he could get away with it, would start rounding people up. He would LOVE to have a list of addresses of people he hates.

[malthaussen]

7. I don't quite see the point.

Just why is it the government's business what the gender of a spouse is? Marriage should be marriage, period.

-- Mal