Althouse: Should the 2010 census count same-sex marriages?

March 10, 2009

Should the 2010 census count same-sex marriages?

It won't.

19 comments:

MadisonMan said...: I don't see why it shouldn't. The Census should be about gathering information about the population. Isn't the fact that two people are married relevant information?; 3/10/09, 7:35 AM
kjbe said...: Isn't the fact that two people are married relevant information?

Yes, and also the family information. Demographers and marketers love this stuff - you'd of thought they'd of pushed harder for it.; 3/10/09, 7:57 AM
Anonymous said...: Gay people should just lie.

Christians love when people lie.; 3/10/09, 8:12 AM
The Drill SGT said...: MadisonMan said...
I don't see why it shouldn't. The Census should be about gathering information about the population

as the articile says,Federal law does not recognize SSM (thank Bill), and there are no Federal progrms that need the data that you would gather.

What if the situation were reversed? Would you want census folks to gather data on lifestyles, politics, drug use, etc?

sounds intrusive.; 3/10/09, 8:14 AM
paul a'barge said...: Marriage is a union between a man and a woman.

There is no such thing as a same-sex marriage.

So, no.; 3/10/09, 9:44 AM
Joseph said...: I don't see any harm and I see plenty of benefit in counting them if they aren't lumped together with opposite sex marriages.; 3/10/09, 10:55 AM
Bruce Hayden said...: The problem right now is that there aren't a whole lot of places where SSM is legal, and the big one of them (CA) may end up losing it in their supreme court.; 3/10/09, 11:36 AM
Revenant said...: If the federal government refuses to recognize your marriage, why would you want them to KNOW that you're married? The less the government knows about your private life, the better.

Similarly, why would the government be collecting information on marriages it doesn't recognize as legitimate? To what purpose?; 3/10/09, 12:22 PM
Skyler said...: Score one for common sense. There's no such thing as a marriage between homosexuals.; 3/10/09, 12:58 PM
Leland said...: Does it count polygamist marriages?; 3/10/09, 1:36 PM
BJM said...: Not counting all cohabiting couples and the resulting families, regardless of their legal status doesn't make sense from the standpoint that the Census is a data gathering construct, not a moral arbiter.

I am far more concerned with the Administration running a real life version of The Sims by projecting population density instead of knocking on doors and counting heads.

We're taking our eye off the ball.

While we argue over counting same sex marriages, they're planning to lard up districts with simulated populations, effectively gerrymandering Congressional districts and election results for a decade.

How do you think that will work out for conservatives and moderates?; 3/10/09, 1:50 PM
Revenant said...: Not counting all cohabiting couples and the resulting families, regardless of their legal status doesn't make sense from the standpoint that the Census is a data gathering construct, not a moral arbiter.

The Census is *supposed* to count the population of the country for purposes of dividing up the House of Representatives.

That's it. That's the whole thing. They don't need to know gender, race, marital status, favorite color, weight, hair color, number of television sets, or whatever other crap the government asks about.; 3/10/09, 2:12 PM
jimbino said...: There are more single people in this country than married people, which doesn't keep the federal government from favoring the minority marrieds in 1220 different ways.; 3/10/09, 3:00 PM
TitusLaughedToo said...: I tend to be fairly conservative on this issue. I believe that gay people shouldn't be able to drive let alone get married.; 3/10/09, 3:16 PM
TitusLaughedToo said...: Mos are married in Massachusetts. Which is disgusting.; 3/10/09, 3:19 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: I'm with MM. I don't see why it shouldn't count for the census. The census is supposed to find out how many people live in an area, the numbers of people per household, and lots of other demographic information.

The numbers of people who live in a same sex relationship, in the same household, married or not can be statistically significant, especially in some areas.

It is silly not to count them.; 3/10/09, 5:24 PM
blake said...: Householding information can be useful.

It'd be nice if they just restricted themselves to, you know, their Constitutional responsibilities but, seriously, what are the odds?; 3/10/09, 7:36 PM
Host with the Most said...: Rev is right:

The Census should count everyone as people, male, female, age.

The rest is used for social engineering, and THAT's worked out really well, hasn't it?

Seriously - imagine if the census couldn't report anything other than the amount of people in a given district. No skin color, ethnicity, income, etc.

What would this country become?

Better. Much better. A few problems for about 6-8 years, but then - WOW!

And to the topic at hand. I am glad that gay marriages are not counted. IF they are counting marriages, I don't want mine diluted by someone else's recent redefiniton of the institution's entire history of civilization.; 3/10/09, 10:03 PM
Revenant said...: If submitting false census data is illegal, and the DOMA orders the federal government to recognize no marriages other than the monogamous heterosexual sort, doesn't it follow that filing a census report claiming a married gay couple IS a married gay couple is, in fact, illegal?; 3/11/09, 4:38 AM