I received my U.S. Census form yesterday, and assume many of you did as well. I encourage you all to fill them out and return them promptly.
Oh, but why, you ask, when we still have our tax forms, kids’ summer camp registrations, and field trip permission forms to complete?
Our Families Count, a public education campaign for the LGBT community and our allies, explains:
These data are used to determine the distribution of seats in the House of Representatives and provides key population numbers for Congress and the administration to determine how federal dollars flow to the states and cities for health care, housing, and English as a second language classes. Census information is also used in the enforcement of an array of civil rights laws in employment, housing, voting, lending, education, and the availability of bilingual ballots and interpreters at poll sites. The census has a big impact on our political power and economic security.
Since 1990, when the census added the “unmarried partner” designation on its form, LGBT people in same-sex relationships have provided the first visible record of our partnerships in the history of our nation. These data have been very important in countering anti-gay lies, myths and misperceptions about the diverse LGBT community.
Visit their Web site for more information, and for answers to intriguing questions like:
- Is there a sexual orientation or gender identity question on the 2010 Census?
- If I am transgender, do I check the sex I was assigned at birth or my gender identity/expression? What if neither of these options fit my identity?
- How will LGBT same-sex married spouses and unmarried partners be counted by the census?
- Why should LGBT people of color in bi-racial relationships consider identifying as head of household?
- How do I know that the government won’t use this information to target me or my family for discrimination?
Garden State Equality also advises, in an e-mail to supporters:
If you are a same-sex couple living together, . . . you have two options: Check off “married” or “unmarried partners.” If you are a same-sex couple living together, do not check off “single” under any circumstances.
On a parental note, I’ll also encourage you to fill out the form with your kids, if they’re old enough. It makes for a good civics lesson.
Am I the only one who find the relationship options for our kids mildly vexing? The form offers “adopted child” and “biological child” as separate options, rather than, say, for example, “legal child.” Why the distinction? Legally adopted children have the same legal standing as biological children, of course. Is there some group with an interest in counting adopted children? And what sense will they make out of families like ours in which the child is “adopted” only in the sense that s/he’s not biologically related to one of his/her moms?
Good question, Diane. I’d argue that it is important to show the number of adopted children in order to help gauge the number of children likely to be adopted. With respect to same-sex couples, I think it is important to show how many of us have adopted children–and why laws that prevent us from doing so are harmful to the many children who need permanent homes.
This does bring up the whole issue of what box a non-biological mother should check. We had a discussion on that very issue about a year ago here, so I’ll refer you to that. (Read the comments, too, which provide some additional insight.)
Dana, thank you for the reply, the reference to last year’s post (which I somehow missed) and your post today. I appreciate the follow up and the broader questions you ask (than the relatively narrower one I posted).
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