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We know it’s a little clichéd – but here’s what we want to tell the census: We’re here. We’re queer. And we want you to ask us about it.It’s crazy – the U.S. Census Bureau wants an accurate count of everyone in the country – but there’s no question in the survey that asks if you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
You read that right: LGBT people are basically invisible in the survey that is supposed to reflect the diversity of America’s population – and that’s a big problem.
The data collected impacts issues critical to every American – like our health care, our economic stability, and even our safety. And when LGBT people aren’t counted, then we also don’t count when it comes to services, resources … you name it.
It’s past time to Queer the Census!
So what can you do about it?
10 Comments
have folks forgotten what ‘queer’ means?I work a lot with census data, and often grapple with all the histories of injustice embodied in the questions the census form asks and the way data is collected. “Queer the census” to me would mean doing something to subvert those categories — getting rid of the M/F binary gender question, or actually figuring out a way to compile data about folks who identify as multi-racial that doesn’t just lump everyone together as “black, more than one race”.
What does this initiative do? Something extraordinarily un-queer — try to get the US Government to rigidly categorize citizens by sexual identity, as if “lesbian”,”gay”,”bisexual”,”transgender” were God-given rigidly defined categories.
Have folks forgotten why we choose to call ourselves ‘queer’? That word means something in terms of radical politics and an understanding of identity. It ain’t just a shorthand for ‘homosexual’…
I got my stickerReceived my sticker yesterday. While I know it’s not going to make a difference in this census, I do hope it will open some eyes for 2020. (Pun not intended, but still kinda cute.) I’m just hoping the person hired to open envelopes will get a kick out of three of the boxes being checked… having a home with a transgender lesbian living with a straight ally. :)
I still thinkI still think that we should all choose whichever term we feel most strongly affirms who we are and write it in in the ‘race/ethnicity’ category. I’m definitely going to.
Oh, Mary, PUH-LEEEZE!!!
Perpetuating the self-delusion that using “queer” is “radical politics” is like asserting that 8-track tapes are state-of-the-art in music. But unlike 8-tracks, it actually caught on with very few people; it’s the volume at which they play it that misleads about the number who actually DO play it.
Despite NGLTF’s pathetic attempt to be “hip” [they might as well suggest the Census get "groovy"] the “we” who “choose to call [themselves] ‘queer’” remains statistically insignificant. Note, NGLTF doesn’t even suggest THAT be an option to check off.
Anyone can call his/her/Q self what they want, but get your pseudo intellectual arrogance off the greater community’s back that votes every day against you by NOT calling themselves or others “queer.” If everyone in your circle does, you really need to get out more.
And for the record, my friend Leonard and I wrote in “gay” in the blank space next to “Other” under “Race” in the 1980 Census. Enough did then, and in 1990 and 2000 that they WERE tabulated by the Census bureau.
I don’t think we do ourselves any favors hereWhen the number of people willing to put something like “gay” on their census comes out really small, especially in areas where there is no legal protection, our enemies would be empowered.
This is just silliness.
it doesn’t matter where you livecensus data is not given to the locals except in aggregate form, so it is safe to answer honestly. also, if the number of LGBT people responding is small, all the more evidence that we need legal protections. but you’re under no obligation to participate. if you think it’s silly to stand up and be heard, do remain silent.
Really importantMy wife and I are friends with people at ourfamiliescount.org which is also working on getting lgbt and all the others to make themselves visible on the census.
It’s really important because these are the official numbers that will be used for policy development for the next ten years. Staying silent is really not a good thing. Once the census is counted, we’re done until 2020.
This can also backfire folks…
Let’s say that a whopping 10% of the LGBT community does this…that leaves a 90% undercount.
And since when has sexual preference EVER been a part of the census? (in any of it’s myriad forms)
Is “None” an option?
And had anyone checked whether these stickers could actually nullify your submission – do the Census Bureau envelope opening machines merely kick out submissions with foreign applications?
This is a probable thing. Someone needs to find out.
Worth finding out, of courseBut I doubt it. I imagine that humans are opening the envelopes, or at least any that the machines kick out. Why would there be so much effort in getting everyone to fill out their census and send it back if any in a non-standard envelope were going to be thrown out anyway?
Do we really have to explain here that being G/L/B/T/Q is much more than a sexual “preference”?
heterosexual “preference” *is* on the census formit’s called “married”. and unmarried people have always been assumed to be straight by the census.