The U.S. Census Bureau has delayed the count.
U.S. Census Bureau officials said Thursday that concerns for accuracy have led them to delay counting legally married same-sex couples in the 2010 census. Officials expect the information to appear in the 2020 count.
The 2010 census marks the first time officials have attempted to include same-sex couples in the population count. Since the bureau's June announcement, officials have discovered roadblocks to that goal, reports the Associated Press.
“'Statistical problems related to the development of the 2010 census form and the evolving legal state of same-sex relationships led census officials to conclude that trying to include married gay couples in the overall snapshot of household marital status could yield an inaccurate number,’” said Gary Gates, a University of California, Los Angeles, demographer advising the bureau on gay issues, according to the AP.
“Instead, same-sex married couples will be added into the category for unmarried partners, just as they were for the 2000 census. But in a marked policy departure, the agency plans to make the data on same-sex couples who described themselves as married available on a state-by-state basis,” the AP reported.
Source: advocate.com
Protection includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and disabilities.
Washington (CNN) -- President Obama on Wednesday signed a law that makes it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.
The expanded federal hate crimes law, hailed by supporters as the first major federal gay rights legislation, was added to a $680 billion defense authorization bill that Obama signed at a packed White House ceremony.
The hate crimes measure was named for Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager who died after being kidnapped and severely beaten in October 1998, and James Byrd Jr., an African-American man dragged to death in Texas the same year.
Shepard's mother, Judy, was among those at the ceremony that also included Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Attorney General Eric Holder and leading members of Congress and the Pentagon, who were on hand for the appropriations bill signing.
To loud applause, Obama hailed the hate crimes measure in the bill as a step toward change to "help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray."
He cited the work of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and others "to make this day possible."
Later Wednesday, Obama stood with Shepard's parents and relatives of Byrd at a separate White House event honoring passage of the expanded hate crimes law.
Noting reports of 12,000 crimes based on sexual orientation over the past 10 years, Obama called the bill another step in the continuing struggle for protecting human rights.
"Because of the efforts of the folks in this room, particularly those family members standing behind me, the bell rings even louder now," Obama said. When he finished his remarks, he hugged the weeping relatives as the audience applauded.
Several religious groups have expressed concern that a hate crimes law could be used to criminalize conservative speech relating to subjects such as abortion or homosexuality. However, Holder has said that any federal hate-crimes law would be used only to prosecute violent acts based on bias, not to prosecute speech based on controversial racial or religious beliefs.
Former President George W. Bush had threatened to veto a similar measure, but Obama brought a reversal of that policy to the White House.
When the bill won final congressional approval last week, Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese called the hate crimes measure "our nation's first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people."
Earlier this month, Obama told the Human Rights Campaign, the country's largest gay rights group, that the nation still needs to make significant changes to ensure equal rights for gays and lesbians.
"Despite the progress we've made, there are still laws to change and hearts to open," he said in an address at the group's annual dinner. "This fight continues now and I'm here with the simple message: I'm here with you in that fight."
Among other things, Obama has called for the repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military -- the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. He also has urged Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and pass the Domestic Partners Benefit and Obligations Act.
The Defense of Marriage Act defines marriage, for federal purposes, as a legal union between a man and a woman. It allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages. The Domestic Partners Benefit and Obligations Act would extend family benefits now available to heterosexual federal employees to gay and lesbian federal workers.
However, some advocates for stronger rights for the lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender community have complained that Obama's administration is moving too slowly on his legislative promises.
Opponents of the expanded hate crimes bill challenged the need to specify one particular community in federal legislation. They contended that existing federal hate crimes laws were sufficient to protect the rights of people based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
More than 77,000 hate-crime incidents were reported by the FBI between 1998 and 2007, or "nearly one hate crime for every hour of every day over the span of a decade," Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee in June.
At Wednesday's signing, Obama also praised what he called a bipartisan effort to start changing the culture of military spending through the annual appropriations bill. He noted that Gates had worked with congressional leaders to end what Obama called wasteful projects like the F-22 fighter bomber and a new presidential helicopter that would have cost "almost as much as Air Force One."
"I won't be flying on that," the president said.
Noting that cost overruns in military projects total tens of billions of dollars, Obama called for further "fundamental" reforms in how the government and Pentagon do business.
"We all know where this kind of waste comes from," he said, citing "indefensible" no-bid contracts and special interests pushing unneeded weapons systems.
Such actions are "inexcusable", "unconscionable" and an "affront to the American people" as the nation faces two wars and an economic recession, Obama said. "Today I'm pleased to say that we have proved that change is possible," he said.
Source: cnn.com
Queer the Census
The U.S. Census Bureau will make an official count of same-sex couples next spring while LGBT activists will attempt to “queer the census” with a grassroots write-in campaign.
Statistics on same-sex couples have been available through analyzing Census data since 1990, but the 2010 count brings a new — out and open — approach in counting gay couples and reporting the statistics.
“This is a real change from the way we’ve been treated in the past,” said Molly McKay of Marriage Equality USA.
In 1990, the Census Bureau added “unmarried partner” to its Census questionnaire, and thus independent researchers, by looking at gender, could count same-sex unmarried couples.
Couples could do the same in 2000.
And, with the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, a new opportunity opened for the head of a household, when listing others in the residence, to check “husband or wife” and be counted as same-sex married household.
But the Bush administration determined that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act prohibited federal agencies from tabulating and reporting data on same-sex marriages. Thus, the administration directed the bureau to recategorize same-sex couples who identified as “married” in the Census to “unmarried.”
For the past two years, activists, lawmakers and government employees have advocated changing that policy before Census forms go out in March 2010.
“We have followed with great concern news reports that the U.S. Census Bureau intends to continue ‘scrubbing’ data on same-sex married couples in its 2010 Census public reports,” a coalition of lawmakers wrote Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget, in May 2009.
“We are very concerned with this planned data modification and request your leadership in ensuring the Census Bureau adopt acceptable methods for identifying same-sex married couples in its publicly released data.”
Additionally, activists representing about 25 organizations met with administration and Census officials.
“We drew a line in the sand,” said Jaime Grant, director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.
And they won, securing more than a reversal of policy. The bureau committed to counting same-sex couples — married and unmarried — next year, as well as officially releasing the statistics.
“The data set is going to be rich,” said Timothy Olson, an assistant division chief with the U.S. Census Bureau. “This will be a powerful data set and it will play a significant role in all of the issues on the political side, the social side, healthcare, housing, public transportation.”
“We really see it as the door opener on changing the way the feds think about LGBT questions,” “The Census is our Trojan horse.”
Earlier this month, the bureau announced the launch of its first-ever Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Complete Count Committees in California in preparation for the 2010 Census.
The committees are locally driven efforts to educate and engage people to complete the Census, and they exist to reach into a variety of communities, especially traditionally under-counted communities.
“Our goal is to sign up and engage 120,000 [community representatives] to spread the word about the Census — that it is safe, easy and simple,” Olson said. “We are really focused on the partnership program.”
The outreach dates back to 1990, when the bureau sought to reverse a decline in mail-in responses to the Census.
“We are really fortunate in 2010 to have a community outreach program that is about five times larger than 2000,” Olson said. And, he said, 2000 was substantially larger than 1990.
The outreach is important because the bureau’s task is to make an accurate assessment of the U.S. population. The U.S. Constitution mandates the count: “Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers.… The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.”
“People don’t understand the real impact of the Census in our society,” Olson said. “Redistricting. Reapportionment. Legislation. Funding. It really has a huge impact as to how we are represented in our democracy and on the level of funding. $300 billion a year is based on Census data.”
Researchers — most prominently those associated with the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law — have analyzed Census data and surveys in the past to document discrimination based on sexual orientation, to estimate the number of same-sex couples and to learn about the make-up of their families, their incomes and their healthcare situations.
“In 1990, we said, ‘Check the box,’” Grant said. “And in 2000, we said, ‘Check the box.’ Couples did. And we’ve been able to use that data to tell the story of our community.”
But there is more to the story, she said.
In addition to releasing official data about same-sex couples in the 2010 Census, the bureau plans to incorporate questions about same-sex couples in the American Community Survey, a bureau project that replaced the long-form questionnaire in the decennial Census.
The bureau has no plans to ask about sexual orientation or gender identity in 2010, but a nationwide “Queer the Census” campaign may provide the bureau with some numbers anyhow.
“We’re thrilled we’re going to see LGBT marriage in the Census,” Grant said. “But many of us are unpartnered and we should be just as visible. So we are very excited about this campaign.”
Through the campaign at www.queerthecensus.org, people can get a pink and purple “Queer the Census” sticker to affix to the back of their Census mailer.
On the sticker, people can check a box for all that apply — lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight ally. The sticker proclaims, “Everyone deserves to be counted. It’s time to queerthecensus.org.”
“But they are going to see a million pink and purple stickers,” Grant said. “We’re really hoping ‘Queer the Census’ is going to catch fire.”
Source: 365gay.com
A Proclamation
Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.
LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.
Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.
The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.
My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.
These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-LGBT-Pride-Month/
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Source: http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states.php
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