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PrintFor the first time, the 2010 census will count same-sex married couples, but there is still no place for individuals to mark their sexual orientation.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force wants that to change. The organization created a campaign called “Queer the Census” to lobby for the next census to include a space to mark sexual orientation, as the Missourian reported March 26.
The campaign has been distributing hot-pink stickers that people are supposed to seal to the back of their census envelopes. The stickers instruct people to mark one of five options: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or a straight ally. A message below the options reads: “Everyone deserves to be counted. It’s time to QueertheCensus.org.”
MU’s LGBTQ Resource Center passed out 200 stickers initially, center coordinator Ryan Black said.
Queer the Census organizer Vanessa Macoy said representation in the census is necessary for the LGBT community to receive government funding.
“The census is the basis of over $400 billion in federal funding,” she said. “The LGBT community is not able to effectively lobby to be recipients of any of that money.”
Should the next census include a space to mark sexual orientation?
Show Me the Errors 
Comments
Definitely not! Taxpayer funds should not be distributed for the promotion of sexual activities.
What I want to know is who picked "hot-pink" for the labels.
Not only is it stereotypical, but it also clashes with the color of my eyes.
Chartreuse would have been a much more flattering choice!
Sexual orientation should be private and discrete, not advertised in schools, displayed on banners in parades or funded by congress, so NO!
Maybe Forest Gump's momma said it best, "stupid is as stupid does".
@ Richard Hayden
I agree with you, Richard; unfortunately, not everyone seems to agree with you.
Maybe folks should read the Constitution. It's surprisingly short, and most of our citizens are at least semi-literate. The purpose of the census is to count heads, so that political divisions referred to as "districts" within the United States can be correctly represented (in the House of Representatives). With various federal programs that have since come along, the information is also needed in order to properly administer those programs.
Does it make any difference in the context I've given whether a "head" is heterosexual or homosexual? Are we planning to give homosexuals double representation? Half representation? No representation?
Good grief! Some folks clearly don't have enough to keep them busy.
the constitution doesnt give authority for most of the programs that congress and past presidents push on us.The census is to count how many people are in the country, not how much they make, where they work, who they live with, or single, married, or whatever.
So besides the fact that gays are wrong in the first place,it doesnt matter as far as the constitutional purpose of the census.all the other crap they want you to fill out is none of their business.I dont think gays should get special treatment, i.e. special funding.Just because they decided to go against the will of God, dont mean they should be rewarded, in fact it should be the other way around.