The census and gay Americans

David Crary of the Associated Press is reporting that that Census Bureau, along with gay rights activists, are urging same-sex couples to indicate if they are married on the US census, even if they don't have a marriage license.  This is the first time the US census has counted same-sex couples.  Conservatives, of course, are up in arms, claiming that it's another step toward redefining marriage. 

Although only the District of Columbia and five have legalized gay marriages,the census bureau says same-sex couples in any state who consider themselves spouses should feel free to check the "husband" or "wife" boxes on the census form, rather than "unmarried partner."

Jaime Grant, Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, called the move "humongous," especially given that federal law does not recognize gay marriages or civil unions.

Gary Randall, President of Faith and Freedom Network, stated that the census "is leaving it to responders to characterize their own relationships, regardless of legal status.  Will homosexual numbers be inflated by this 'you decide what you are' policy? Probably.  This policy shift is another attempt to confuse the discussion about marriage by creating a problem of sorts, then providing a solution that advances the homosexual agenda of redefining marriage."

The census forms do not inquire directly about sexual orientation, and some gay-rights activists have complained that this means single gays — as opposed to those with live-in spouses and partners — have no means of gaining collective representation through the census.

Olson said an act of Congress would be needed to add a sexual orientation question to the form, and some activists are already planning a campaign to achieve that. In a first step, a campaign called "Queering the Census," activists are distributing stickers for gays and lesbians to attach to this year's forms on which they can identify themselves as gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual.

Four pieces of good news

1. Washington, DC: It's beginning to look like the Washington DC City Council will pass the bill allowing same-sex couples to wed by the end of the week, in essence ignoring the threats of the Catholic Church to stop social services for one third of the city's homeless.  It's looking good, but I'm still not convinced that the anti-equality folks don't have something up their sleeve.

2. Health Care Bill: Not many people know that when companies offer same-sex couples health benefits, that unlike heterosexual couples, that benefit is taxed.  For example, here in Massachusetts, my husband provides our insurance through his work, but my portion is taxed by the federal government, even though married straight couples from the same state aren't.  The present health care bill will actually put and end to this discriminatory federal policy, resulting in hundreds and even thousands of dollars in savings for some couples.



3. Marriage Equality in Australia: The country down under is about to offer civil marriage to gay couples.  The national government had twice thwarted the law, but this time decided to allow the law to pass and to let same-sex couples get married.  As Timothy Beauchamp of Americablog wrote Sunday morning:

One more of our longtime allies embarrasses the United States in providing equality and civil rights to ALL of their citizens, while our government continues to prop up institutionalized discrimination to deny equality and justice for all here in America.

Everyone "hates us for our freedoms" over here in the United States, right? /snark Read More...

4. Next Year's Census: For the first time ever, the United States census will count same-sex couples as spouses.  (Before thus same-sex couples were called unmarried partners.  This is one of those pieces of good news that is also a little disheartening.  On the one hand, it's vitally important to be counted as part of the citizenry.  On the other, isn't it pretty sad to feel grateful just because the government decided to acknowledge you exist?