In March, American households everywhere will receive their 2010 Census forms in the mail.
As of now, the census will not provide Congress with an accurate look at the United States' demographics, because it will not include a question about the LGBT community.
Things may change. The Census Bureau has warmed up to the idea of including the LGBT community, and in an unprecedented and welcoming outreach, Dr. Robert Groves, Director of the US Census Bureau, endorsed the inclusion of gays and lesbians, “We are charged each ten years to provide Congress with a census they trust to be accurate and complete. We are grateful to our LGBT community partners in helping us achieve this significant responsibility, and to help educate, motivate, and inspire everyone to take part and above all, to be visible and counted.”
For this initiative, the U.S. Census recruited and deployed nearly two dozen Census Bureau Partnership Specialists across the country specifically to work with LGBT community groups and leaders. All of these specialists are working with Che Ruddell-Tabisola who was tapped by the U.S. Census to serve as national LGBT partnership leader, and as the primary bridge between the LGBT-inspired community campaign called Our Families Count.
At a conference , Creating Change, beginning tomorrow in Dallas, Texas, US Census Bureau representatives will be staffing a welcoming table in the exhibit hall to display new LGBT outreach and education materials.
In addition, a special Workshop entitled, Want to Add a Question to the Census? Learn how at Numbers Matter: The Importance of the Census for LGBT Americans in 2010 and Beyond will be held at the conference in Dallas on Friday, February 5.
