| We reported a couple weeks ago that the Census would be counting married gay couples as married couples. Technology may not catch up in time. USA Today is reporting that there are several challenges (6 July, page 3A). Currently, the software used by the Census Bureau automatically converts same-sex married couples to unmarried partners. The last time the census was taken, there were not US states that recognized gay marriage, so this made sense at the time. According to the newspaper, the Census Bureau does not have a high level of confidence that it can update the computers in time. While it seems counter-intuitive, there may be reasons to hold off on the changes. Census data is used to do various things, beyond the redistricting on which everyone who reads this site focuses. Amoung them are enforcement of fair housing and equal opportunity laws: if classifying more gay married couples as straight married couples adversely affects the government's ability to enforce fair housing legislation, that would be bad. The other issue has to do with shared federal data as it relates to family income and family size, in fact, the definition of "family": these areas would have to be reclassified. The above three paragraphs are a reporting of the information, basically from Census Bureau sources. I read the article. I typed up the information. I should leave it at that. But I can't. It's inexcusable for the Census Bureau to NOT make the changes. And whatever the outcome to the classifications of family demographics, the goal of the decennial enumeration is an honest accounting of people living in the United States. And it is dishonest to say people aren't married when they are. In related news, no, there is no progress on the Groves nomination. He's still on anonymous hold courtesy of some coward Senator. If this reminds you of "double secret probation" from Animal House, you're not alone. |
