Tens of millions of taxpayer dollars will be spent next year so the U.S. Census Bureau can take the temperate of America and figure out just how well we’ve become at filling every square inch of this nation with humans. But a growing concern was that none of the cash would be spent collecting mandatory data on same-sex couples living in the U.S. Just like censuses in decades past, we’d be marked “single, unmarried,” and an opportunity to be included in America’s biggest data set would be missed. Then some politicos started getting involved on our behalf, and then the Big Gays (Frank, Baldwin, Polis) did. And now? Results!
To be clear, in the past same-sex couples were technically counted — but only if folks opted to share that information with the door knockers. But under the Bush administration, Census Bureau officials (under the direction of the White House, we presume) blocked the release of any same-sex data, citing the Defense of Marriage Act. (In 1990, “the bureau simply altered the gender designation of one partner.”)
The new White House resident, however, might be changing that.
Camp Obama “has directed the Census Bureau to determine changes needed in tabulation software to allow for same-sex marriage data to be released early in 2011 with other detailed demographic information from the decennial count,” reports the WSJ. “The Census Bureau has long collected data on same-sex marriages when people chose to report it. White House officials said the previous administration interpreted the federal Defense of Marriage Act as prohibiting the release of the data. The Obama administration has abandoned that interpretation.”
How about we take this to the next level?
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To be sure, what the Obama administration has not abandoned: interpreting the U.S. Constitution to conclude denying marriage to same-sex couples is a violation of the 14th Amendment.
If the Census Bureau’s changes take effect, that would be terrific news. And the White House would score a point for correcting a terrible policy. It would also mark another example of Obama making decisions as a course of reacting to criticism, not enacting change because, as he said so himself, it’s the right thing to do.
KD108
Actually being counted for once would help our cause… people/legislators sure do like numbers 🙂 (and I’m not just saying that as a geek who likes math). Not entirely sure how relevant the last two jabs, er, paragraphs were, but I guess blogs are opinion based…
Dabq
The biggest issue is not the Obama WH which as usual this site has wrongly put into is usual hateful diatribe and the commerce department which is in charge of the census, its all those in the closet who will not tell the truth to the census takers, just because all the posters here are out, loud and bitter at the world, here are millions who are not.
sweetdog
@Dabq:
What do you mean …this site has wrongly put into it’s usual hateful diatribe…? I for one am thankful we have a source for finding out exactly what is going on. You don’t think the Obama ass-kissing television networks are going to tell us, do you? Yesterday on GMA, instead of mentioning anything about the previous day’s signing of the memorandum re: same-sex partners in the federal government, what did they focus on? A FLY. A fly that had landed on their messiah. THAT took precident over something as important as equal rights? Queerty’s diatribe may be hateful (so you say), but at least it’s honest, and without it we’d be left in the dark.
Dennis
“Just another example of Obama’s gay hatred”…I’m sure he just wants this knowledge about us so he can have Blackwater operatives come in and gay bash us in the middle of the night…
Hillary would have had the entire census dedicated to the gays…she would have included questions like “How many gay friends do you have? and Do you think Adam Lambert is hot or not?”
Blah, blah, fucking delusional blah.
Praenomenal
But s a pre-op Transwoman, what box do I fill in? :-\
alejandro
but OMG this isnt hilary!! for christ sakes had it been any republican they wouldnt have done this!!
blah.
SM
That’s great. Being counted in a FEDERAL census is just one more chip in the DOMA fight. He is totally laying the groundwork for that fight in several ways. You all are just angry.
I’ve followed Obama for a long freaking time…most of you were following Hillary.
The man is very cerebral on social issues. He does not act on emotions. Obama has to deal with the parts of America that DO NOT WANT ANY social change.
President Obama broke through the racial divide in this country when no one gave him a chance to win the primaries. Give him a chance.
Tony
I cannot say, Obama can only count gay dollars, not gay couples. Now multiply the number of couples by the number of dollars he has lost by being the biggest homophobic preznit in recent history, and he might get the picture.
robieusa
So, since my partner of 20 years and I are not allowed to marry, which box do I tick to accurately show our relationship status. Confused.