Queer The Census!
The census tells the story of who we are as a nation, and that includes LGBT people — but only when we participate, and only when we're fully counted. Thanks to the collection of unmarried partner data, a more complete picture of who we are has emerged, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
For example, we know that:
•Same-sex couples live in 99 percent of all U.S. counties
•LGBT parents live in 97 percent of all U.S. counties
•Black and Latino same-sex couples are raising children at almost the same rates as their heterosexual peers, but on lower incomes ($10,000/year or less).
Still, there is no question on the 2010 census that asks individuals if they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender — and LGBT questions are not included in almost all other major federal surveys.
It's a big problem. The census, which counts everyone living in the United States every ten years, provides the data that is used to determine funding and policy priorities at the national and state level.
Being counted isn’t just a numbers game, but a question of whether the LGBT community gets access to the resources that support our health, economic well-being, safety and families. The LGBT community must be visible--and that means participating in the census, but it also means being counted fully.
That's why the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, together with CREDO Action, has launched Queer the Census. The Task Force wants to ensure that LGBT people are accurately counted in the next census.
Please click here to learn more about Queer the Census.
Another effort to make sure LGBT Americans get counted is Our Families Count, a national shared public education campaign to encourage LGBT people to participate in the 2010 Census. Our Families Count is an entirely voluntary effort and represents a collaborative effort by more than 70 leaders and community organizers across the LGBT and ally spectrum in the U.S.
Our Families Count has one mission: to educate and motivate all LGBT Americans and households to be visible in 2010, and to take part in the 2010 U.S. Census. The organization's goal is to achieve an accurate picture of LGBT numbers in the United States.
Please click here to learn more about Our Families Count.