Queer the Census

[crashhelmet]

Queer the Census

I've been seeing this link posted around Facebook and Twitter lately and have been wondering if it's good or bad. In a nutshell, it's a movement to include sexuality into the census.

I can understand the idea that including it would be a way to tell our government just how much of our population is made of people within the LBGT community. The data could possibly be used to help promote and add a increased awareness for civil rights issues.

On the other hand, wouldn't the information then become public domain? How many within the community would be willing to declare it? In the small hick towns where people like Matthew Shepherd are murdered, would they then become outed and at risk of physical/mental harm?

Are there better ways to go about it all? Will this do more than just show the government how many are out there?

Just food for thought while struggling to stay awake on my graveyard shift.

CH

[joe hx]

On the other hand, wouldn't the information then become public domain?

No. Individual census data can only be accessed by the Census Bureau. Not law enforcement, debt collectors, or anybody. For 73 years anyways. I guess if someone knocks on your door they could let that info slip...

[elsporko]

I thought the gays wanted to be treated the same as everybody else. Why should sexual orientation be part of the census? Its not like somebody is going to say "We better build a new hospital in this town, theres alot of gay people there."

If anything I would think the gays would want orientation to not be part of the census so they aren't being singled out as some sort of abnormality. The census doesn't ask if you are attracted to asians or like apples, why put if you like men or women?

[Ree]

The census is used to help the government determine statistics for all areas of the country.

Those statistics are used to determine funding, programs, etc.

I imagine the premise for this movement is that adding sexual orientation will help them determine more fully that there is a more significant base of GLBT people than they think, and as a result, will take that into consideration before cutting funding or programs, or enacting laws that affect this portion of the population.

[McDreidel09]

I think they should add it, however they should make it an optional part to fill out.

Basically, Ree said what I wanted to say.

[smileyeagle1021]

If it were on the form I would fill it out and encourage all LGBT to fill it out... that said, I'm not going to go to great effort to see it added.

[Plaidman]

I don't see the point of it. If anything it could lead to more attacks. Being gay should have no bearing on anything in this life period. Even if it is for statisical purposes, there just no real reason why sexual orietation should be anything.

Its 2010 people. There are gay people. There are straight people. There are Bi people. There are nonsexuals. There are so many different sexual orientations out there, it makes one head spin. If you are going to add gay, you need to add every single one there is.

[Nyoibo]

Which is kind of the point, there's been all sorts of numbers thrown around for what percentage of the population is homosexual, but never a definative figure as most are taken from sample groups.

Being gay shouldn't have any bearing on anything in this life, but it does.

[telecom_goddess]

well now that I have filled out my census form it does ask in other's people's info how they are related to you, and if they are a same sex or different sex partner.