Census 2010 update
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Census 2010 update PDF Print E-mail

In the Winter issue of Concord, we reported to you that, for the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau is going to count and report statistics on the number of same-gender couples in the United States. The update on that is that the Census Bureau will report both the number of same-gender couples that consider their relationship to be that of spouses and those that consider their relationship to be that of unmarried partners.

In both cases the reports will be based on what people consider their relationships to be, not whether they are married / partnered in the eyes of the law. It is the perception of the couple that counts, not whether there is a marriage license or legal document with their names on it. It does not matter whether or not the local jurisdiction recognizes the relationship in any way at all.

These are the same rules and manner under which heterosexual couples report their relationships.

Prior to this census, the Bureau had gathered some data on the prevalence of same-gender couples in society but had been prevented by the Bush Administration from reporting any of the data. This past summer, the Obama Administration instructed the Bureau that that restriction was no longer in effect.

The form you will get in the mail asks how many people live in the residence. It asks that one person be designated Person 1 and then that the relationship of others in the household to Person 1 be reported, along with demographic data like gender. If Person 2 is indicated as Husband/wife, the Bureau will count them as a married couple. If Person 2 is indicated as Unmarried Partner, the Bureau will count them as living together in a relationship not as committed as married. If the genders of the reported couple are the same, that relationship will be reported as same-gender.

Gender, race / ethnicity, married / partnered, all are how the persons think of themselves, regardless of what legal documents may say or whether the relationship is recognized by any legal or religious authority.

The information you report to the Census Bureau is by law kept confidential and may not be released in any way that could point directly to you or your household. Therefore, you are encouraged to report information about your household as accurately as you are comfortable doing.