By Patrick B. Craine
August 3, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Responding to the direction of the Obama administration, the U.S. Census Bureau released guidelines Monday indicating that they will now begin reporting data on same-sex “marriage.”
Due to the late decision, the 2010 Census will operate according to previous policy, with Census software recoding relationship status entries for same-sex partners who identify themselves as “husband or wife,” to “unmarried partner.” In late 2011, however, Census officials will, for the first time, release raw state-by-state data on same-sex partners who identify themselves as “husband or wife.”
The Bush administration had prohibited the release of such data based on their interpretation of the 1996 Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA); but in a legal opinion published last week, Commerce Department lawyers disagreed, concluding that DOMA does not prohibit the release of data relating to same-sex “marriage.”
The Census Bureau has slowly adapted its data collection to an American culture that is increasingly dominated by the homosexualist agenda. In the 1990 Census, the Bureau resolved the problem of same-sex partners identifying their relationship status as “husband or wife” by 'editing' the gender of one of the partners. In 2000, however, such entries were recoded to “unmarried partners.”
The Bureau will first report on same-sex “marriage” data later this year in its release of the 2008 American Community Survey, which will include unedited responses about relationship status.
The Wall Street Journal reported in June that the Obama administration had directed the Census Bureau to find a way to include same-sex “marriages” and partnerships in the 2010 Census. White House spokesman Ben LaBolt commented: “The administration continues to make progress on the president's longstanding commitment to promoting equality for [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] Americans.”
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
Obama White House Seeks Inclusion of Same-Sex Unions in Census
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09061907.html
Obama to Give Benefits to Homosexual Partners of Federal Employees
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09061704.html
President Obama Declares June 2009 'LGBT Pride Month'
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09060208.html