LGBT POV

Forms for the 2010 US Census will arrive in your mailbox any day now.  Make sure you and your household take a few minutes to complete yours and send it back: among the many benefits of an accurate Census is a better understanding of LGBT people as a demographic group.

The US Census Bureau will host a forum in West Hollywood this evening to discuss the new Census form, answer questions from community members, and speak about how census data are used.  The event is open to the public and will take place at 6:30pm to 8:30pm at Plummer Park, Rooms 5 & 6, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood.

2010’s Census is the first time that the government will collect data on same-sex married spouses, Matt Weinstein, a Census Partnership Specialist assigned to the LGBT community in Southern California, told LGBT POV. The resulting data will provide information on the number of married same-sex couples and unmarried cohabitating same-sex couples.  In previous censuses, if a same-sex couple indicated that they were married, they were reclassified as “unmarried partners” in official tabulations.

The Census relies on self-identification, Weinstein said.  Cohabitating same-sex couples who consider themselves married can identify as such on the form, regardless of whether or not they live in a state that legally recognizes their relationship. “This year, people will be counted exactly how they identify their relationship,” said Weinstein.  “My hope is that on this census, we’ll get an even higher number of same-sex couples willing to come out and be counted.”  Historically, many same-sex couples selected “roommate” as their relationship identity, effectively hiding their LGBT identities from the study.

The impact of LGBT census data looms large for our community.  “Census data have done more to make LGBT families and their needs visible than any other source of data we have,” said Lee Badgett, Research Director at the Williams Institute at UCLA, the country’s leading think tank on sexual orientation law and public policy.  Williams has released numerous studies using census data, including “Census Snapshot: California Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Population” (2008); “Same-Sex Spouses and Unmarried Partners in the American Community Survey” (2008); and a series of studies detailing the demographics of LGB Californians who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, African-American, and Latino.  These publications are available here.

Census numbers can debunk stereotypes about LGBT people, Weinstein said.  Of the 25,173 same-sex couples in LA County who identified themselves in the 2000 Census, 47% of these same-sex couples LA County were living “outlying” parts of the County.  Likewise, 47% of those 25,000 couples included at least one person of color.  So people are starting to realize that LGBT Angelenos aren’t all white dudes living in WeHo.

Weinstein is part of a network of specialists throughout the country who are working with LGBT communities nationwide to encourage participation with the Census.  He estimates that 10-20 Census employees specifically focus on outreach to the LGBT community; in addition, other Census workers include LGBT outreach in their purviews. In addition to LA County, LGBT specialists are working in cities including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Dallas, San Francisco, Kansas City and Cleveland.

West Hollywood is only the latest stop on the LGBT Census outreach in SoCal.  Two weekends ago, the Census team presented a bilingual English-Spanish event in Highland Park with the Latino Equality Alliance, MALDEF, and the Williams Institute, focusing on LGBT Latino community issues and the Census.  Last night, they presented an event with API-Equality at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.  LGBT-focused census information events have also taken place San Louis Obispo, Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, and Victorville.  Similar events are planned for the San Fernando Valley, Frenso, Modesto, Salinas, and San Diego County.

Some important categories are missing from the 2010 Census form: it doesn’t not ask specific questions about sexual orientation or have gender options other than male and female.  (The method for counting same-sex couples matches the gender of the designated “1st person” in the household with that of her/his spouse or partner).  “As far as I’m aware, there was no concerted effort to add questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in advance of 2010,” said Weinstein.  “But certainly, the wave of high-profile and widespread advocacy we’re seeing this year is a new thing.  And speaking as a community member, I hope that the people who are getting engaged now stay engaged with the Census beyond 2010, helping the Bureau to do a better job gathering and reporting information about our community.”

The Task Force is currently running a project called Queer the Census.  Click on the link for further insights about how to maximize your political power when completing your Census form.  They’ve even created a cool (and free) sticker to affix to your form, proclaiming your sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or ally status and asking the Census Bureau to include these categories in future censuses.

Census data is powerful.  Census numbers are used to determine political representation in Congress and state legislatures, and are also used to allocate and distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to state, county, and local governments.

Census questions and categories change from decade to decade.  For example, until the 2000 Census, respondents were required to select only one category to describe their racial identity.  See USA Today: “Multiracial no longer boxed in by the Census.”

Weinstein sent me this list of five things that everyone should know about the 2010 Census:

” 1. It’s Safe. All Census forms and personally identifiable information are kept completely confidential for 72 years. They don’t get shared with any other government agencies (including the military, the IRS, or immigration), and they’re not subpoenable under the Patriot Act. 2010 Census information will be made public—for genealogical purposes—on April 1st, 2082.

“2. It’s Easy. The 2010 Census is “short-form” only, and should take 10 minutes or less to complete.

“3. It’s Important. Census numbers are used to determine political representation in Congress and state legislatures, and are also used to allocate and distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to state, county, and local governments.

“4. Everyone Counts. The Census is a count of everyone who is residing in the United States on April 1st, 2010, regardless of citizenship or legal status. It is vital that our communities participate, and help ensure a complete count of all people this year.

“5. The Census is hiring! We are currently hiring hundreds of thousands of door-to-door census-takers in communities all across the country. These temporary jobs are part-time or full-time with flexible hours, and pay well. If you are interested in applying for a Census job, please call our toll-free jobs line at (866)-861-2010, or visit www.2010censusjobs.gov”

Census forms are due back on April 1.