Marriage Equality

Marriage equality is not legal at the federal level or in most states, but the U.S. Census Bureau is seeking to count same-sex married couples in the 2010 Census. The agency is reaching out to gay and lesbian communities across America to solicit our help in capturing an accurate picture of our relationships.

The 2010 Census form does not actually have a category for gays and lesbians to self-identify, whether they're single or in a relationship. Rather, the Bureau is asking gay couples to mark the appropriate gender box and select 'married' on the Census form, regardless of whether marriage equality is a reality in their state. In previous years, the Bureau has assumed it was a mistake when a Census form included two individuals of the same gender and the 'married' box was checked. The Bureau would change the gender on those forms to reflect a heterosexual couple. In 2010, the Bureau assumes that, when a Cenus form indicates two individuals of the same gender and 'married,' the couple is in fact married and will count it as such. The Bureau will extrapolate data based on marital status and gender to determine how many gay and lesbian couples there are in the United States. –The Liberty Line