Friday, June 19, 2009
Following the public relations nightmare involving the Obama DOJ brief, the president seems to be awakening to the idea that the LGBT community will not be marginalized by his administration.
To this end the White House said Thursday it was seeking ways to include same-sex marriages, unions and partnerships in 2010 Census data, the second time in a week the administration has signaled a policy change of interest to the gay community.
The administration has directed the Census Bureau to determine changes needed in tabulation software to allow for same-sex marriage data to be released early in 2011 with other detailed demographic information from the decennial count. The bureau historically hasn’t released same-sex marriage data.
The LGBT community strongly supported President Barack Obama during the 2008 election. But some gay activists say they have been frustrated by what they see as his slow approach to rolling back discriminatory policies.
Previously, Census have asked same-sex couples who live together to define themselves as “unmarried partners,” ignoring our marriages as they did in 2000 before certain states like Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Iowa legalized gay marriage.
Back in March I reported how clueless U.S. Census spokeswoman Cynthia Endo was when asked how they intend to accurately count gay couples:
“This is all about the numbers. This not about lifestyle or anything else.”
Lifestyle? I thought being an avid golfer was a “lifestyle.” Talk about rank stupidity and blatant homophobia at a Federal level.
It will be interesting to see how the Obama administration can change the 2010 Census at this late date. Congress, by law, must approve the questions for the census no later than two years in advance of the count which means we’re six months past that marker.
From the Left 
All of a sudden the Obama administration has come to the realization that they can’t ignore a powerful demographic they courted in the primaries and who helped get them elected.
Maybe things will turn out OK and the president will get DOMA and DADT repealed sooner than later?
I certainly hope so.
I agree with much of the outrage leveled at Obama for being slow to the rodeo and not having a plan to deal with promises he had to the gay community in the primary but I also think this ridiculous Congress is equally culpable.
Pelosi, from San Francisco and the darling of the gay community, is hapless and useless. Her main accomplishment this year was a controversy between herself, the CIA and torture. What has she done to help the president? Nothing.
Reid, up for reelection and worried he could anger the Mormons back home in Nevada, losing their support, is about as weak a Senate Majority Leader I’ve ever seen in the years I followed politics.
It seems Obama is largely on his own.
If five states now allow gay marriage, how can the US Census not count them?
These are real marriages, legal marriages, and if the couples split, they have to go to court and divorce, just like 54% of straight marriages. The Census had better not fuck this up.
Obama needs to put down the glitter sticks and start delivering to the people who helped him win the election.
According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, his approval numbers have dropped 5 points since April. The biggest drop is among Independents — the largest group of voters in the country.
Independents now outnumber Democrats and Republicans and Independents almost uniformly support the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and DOMA.
Should I be excited or even care about this? Maybe I’m just growing cynical but it feels like a saltine on my plate while everyone else is eating pot roast, whipped potatoes and string beans with a scoop of cobbler.
Straight people think the number of gay couples in the U.S. is small, so this leads the Congress not to take us seriously. Wrong.
When are the Democrats going to pass the most important piece of lgbt legislation, a trans inclusive ENDA?
I will never forgive Bill Clinton for DOMA and for DADT.
He was a terrible president more interested in receiving oral sex from an intern than standing up for the rights of all Americans. Now, Obama must clean up after the carnage Clinton left behind.
It seems that rather than make a bold statement the president is keen to make incremental steps. He has always been a bit of a moderate when it comes to LGBT issues but at least the DBOA is a step here is more: http://www.newsy.com/videos/first_step_or_broken_promise
Tiny steps in the right direction, anyhow. Hopefully they’ll add up quickly and we’ll see some clearer, stronger direction in the near-future. Hopefully.
these are small but important steps DOMA and DADT must go
what i fear is douchebags GOP senators will stop funding the census if this goes through