April 1st is Census Day in the U.S., and as the US Census Bureau continues to collect data, some conservative politicians like Representatives Michelle Bachmann (R- Minn) and Ron Paul (R-Texas) are concerned that census questions may be “too personal” and “invasive.” They think the census counts as “government intrusion.” But their criticism is more likely aimed at how the census has changed over the past two centuries, and their claims are less substantiated by fact than by paranoia (C’mon, your telephone number is “too personal”? Yeah, right!) Though silent on the issue, these conservative politicians are probably more peeved by the increasingly LGBTQ-friendly policies adopted by the US Census Bureau in order to make sure that data on LGBTQ people is collected. Bachmann’s argument that the census isn’t private enough is in opposition to society’s push to do the right thing and “queer the census.”
LGBTQ people must be aware of the covert homophobia laced throughout Bachmann and Paul’s condemnation of the census. Although their attack on the census may be a shallow ploy to win political points and galvanize the conservative base, it’s ultimately demeaning to the community. It’s a position whose logic suggests that we can’t count LGBTQ people, which makes gathering hate crime statistics even more difficult.
Ever since the census was first conducted in 1790, it has always asked questions beyond the number of people living in each household. Bachmann and Paul, in particular, have argued that the census can only ask people how many people are living in their house; anything else is unconstitutional. But this claim has no merit whatsoever.
The first census, for example, asked for respondents’ sex and free or slave status. In 1840, the census asked for the number of blind, deaf, and “insane or idiotic” persons living in each household. And in 1850, it asked for respondents’ race and occupation. 2000 marked the first year multiracial people were counted. The census has always been an indication of the socially progressive direction the U.S. is taking.
Data collected by the Census is also used to shape much-needed policies that promote equality. Data related to race is used in our judicial system in order to help rule on cases related to discriminatory voting practices. Asking demographic questions is not invasive; the census has proved, then and now, extremely effective in rolling back past social bigotry. Yet despite the many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people around the country, they are still not accurately represented in the census..
As it stands, there is no question on the census that asks about a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. However, the US Census Bureau for the 2010 Census has enacted some LGBTQ-friendly policies. For example, same-sex couples living together can mark themselves as either “married” or as “unmarried partners,” whichever they consider
themselves in spite of legal obstacles. Previously, if same-sex couples living under the same household marked “married,” the Census would automatically modify their answer to “unmarried partners”—or in some cases modify the gender of one partner. Additionally the US Census Bureau has urged transgendered individuals to mark the sex with which they identify, rather than their “legal” gender.
Although these policies are steps forward for the queer community, they ultimately fall short. Like their heterosexual counterparts, LGBTQ people are far more likely to be single than coupled. Bisexual people in mixed-gender relationships are simply treated as heterosexual. Transgendered people are just ignored. To bridge the gap, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force put together the Queer the Census campaign, which seeks to add a question about sexual orientation and gender identity to the census in order to get a larger, more accurate picture of the number of LGBTQ individuals in the United States.
Of course, even if this question were asked, the census would still underreport the number of LGBTQ individuals on both local and national levels. Given the shame and oppression LGBTQ people face in society, LGBTQ people sometimes choose to stay in the closet. But any number of LGBTQ people, even if it represents less than one percent of the population, means that we know where we stand in terms far more concrete than any approximation can offer. As the old saying goes: “We’re here, we’re queer, get over it.” The census is long overdue to heed this call.
As society has changed, the census has reflected a long history of both demographic and, whether implicit or not, sociological change. We no longer count the number of slaves in our country; they simply don’t exist. And with same-sex marriage now being performed in five states and in DC, same-sex couples can self-identify honestly with state and country. It’s progress, and it’s happening. Let’s keep this going.
