The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports:
"The federal Defense of Marriage Act signed in
1996 by President Bill Clinton does not recognize gay unions sanctioned
by states. Census takers will ask same-sex couples who live together
to define themselves as 'unmarried partners,' as they did in 2000
before some states – currently only Connecticut and Massachusetts –
allowed gay marriage. 'This is all about the numbers. This not about lifestyle or anything else,' says U.S. Census spokeswoman Cynthia Endo.
The
omission of gay marriage and sexuality questions on the census bothers
some gays and lesbians, who argue that a proper accounting would give
them the same visibility as minorities, who gain political power when
their numbers increase…If two people of the same sex identify as
husband and husband or wife and wife, the census will retain that
answer, but when results are released those people will be counted as
unmarried partners. 'The census is all about self-identification,' Endo says. 'We don't ask that question on the census at all, but certain
information can be gleaned from that if two people are living … in
the house.' Same-sex couples with children will not be categorized as 'families' on the census. Children will be counted as belonging to
single parents, those 'unmarried partners.'"
Lifestyle?
I mean, why count the gay people? It might provide a basis for giving us some rights.
