Have you gotten your Census ballot in the mail yet? Have questions on what it is and why it is important? Read below!
The National LGBTQ Task Force breaks down the Census on their website and why it is important. They started the movement #QueertheCensus and #BeCounted in 2010. They share a brief introduction to the Census; “Every 10 years, the federal government attempts to count every person living in the U.S. for the Census. The next Census will aim to take a snapshot of all people living in the U.S. on April 1, 2020. Results from the Census directly affect issues of democracy – Census data are used to redraw district lines and distribute representative seats – and determine funding of social service programs for each state, including Medicaid, Section 8 housing vouchers, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Census data are also used by advocates to ensure they are meeting the needs of people in our communities, and by litigators to enforce civil rights protections. “
The US Census Bureau discusses LGBTQ involvement and incorporation here. While the census doesn’t ask questions about gender or orientation and still offers a binary for sex, the LGBTQ Task force consolidates the imporance of being counted in their Guide to the 2020 Census noting “To ensure fair access to democracy and social services funding, it is important for our community to be accurately counted in the 2020 Census.“
LGBT Action Link also shares why the Census is important to our Community and answers questions via Zoom every Wednesday.
Why Should The LGBTQ+ Community Be Counted?
“The LGBTQ+ community has been fighting to be counted on federal surveys since 1990. Learn more about our history with Census reporting here. The U.S. Census Bureau recently submitted to Congress its planned questions for the 2020 census, and for the first time ever, the survey will allow respondents to specify that they are part of a same-sex couple. The expansion of the relationship question is a step in the right direction, and we look forward to the day when everyone from the LGBTQ+ community is recognized.
The information collected will be used in a number of ways. This includes planning and funding government programs that provide services for LGBTQ+ families, and exploring whether existing programs are effective. In preparation for the 2020 Census, LGBTQ+ organizations will work to revitalize efforts to educate and engage our community on the importance of being counted.” – LGBT Action Link
More information in an article, ‘Want to Count? Then Queer the Census and Be Tallied‘ posted by The Advocate on the Census written by Meghan Maury, a is policy director at the National LGBTQ Task Force.
