The U.S. Census Bureau utilizes social media to the max in effort to spread awareness

The U.S. Census Bureau is going to an awful lot of trouble to convince us of the importance of filling out this decade’s census survey.

Currently, there is a 2010 CENSUS PROFILE PICTURE WEEK campaign hosted on Facebook. There is a YouTube channel, a Twitter profile, and even a MySpace profile!

Information collected from the census population survey helps the federal government best allocate billions of dollars in federal funding for infrastructure support services such as schools, hospitals, and even transportation services.

However, even the 2010 Census is making LGBT history this decade by being the first of its kind to allow LGBT couples to count members of their household. According to Adrienne Critcher of PACE, a political advocacy group currently working with the Census Bureau:

“The person filling out the form (Person 1) is asked to identify how all other individuals in the household are related to him or her. Census data are based on how individuals self identify and how couples think of themselves. Same-sex couples who are married, or consider themselves to be spouses, can identify one other adult as a ‘husband or wife.’ Other same-sex couples may instead decide to use the term ‘unmarried partner.’ In general, people who identify as unmarried partners are in a close personal relationship but are not married or do not think of themselves as spouses. Census data are based on how individuals self identify. This includes same-sex couples who live somewhere their relationship is not recognized.”

The fact still remains that the Census does not request specific information pertaining to sexual orientation or gender identity. This is problematic due to the fact that research has proven over and over again that the LGBT community has very specific medical and medical support needs.

However, you can take action with one simple click of the wrist:

Queer the Census

Do it. We need you. And you count.