LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
Census Figures Show Lesbian & Gay Families are Integral Part of American Society |
The Human Rights Campaign released a comprehensive report this week analyzing the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau figures. The biggest surprise was the impressive geographic diversity for gay and lesbian families, with these couples residing in 99.3 percent of all counties across America. The numbers are significant because they challenge widely held myths and show that these families are a vital part of American society, says HRC in the report.
"The census figures will change the debate for many Americansfrom an abstract controversy read about in newspapers or seen in noisy debates on television to a discussion about real families, real people, and real lives," said David M. Smith, HRC's communications director. "These facts will help us dispel stereotypes and present a fuller, more accurate picture of the gay and lesbian family in America." The 2000 figures for same-sex unmarried partner households provide a wealth of information about a previously unrecognized constituency. These numbers will provide researchers and policy-makers at every level of government compelling arguments for why they need to take care of the policy needs of lesbian and gay families, HRC asserts. The robust U.S. Census findings provide a wealth of information detailed in HRC's report including: In 2000, gay and lesbian families totaled 601,209 with 304,148 gay male families and 297,061 lesbian families. In 1990, the U.S. Census Bureau reported 145,130 total gay and lesbian families81,343 male and 63,787 female. The 2000 numbers represent a 314 percent increase. Gay and lesbian families live in 99.3 percent of all counties in the United States, compared to 1990 when gay and lesbian families reported living in 52 percent of all counties. HRC estimates that the 2000 U.S. Census count of gay and lesbian families could be undercounted as much as 62 percent. Gay and lesbian families live in 97 percent of all U.S. Census Bureau tracts (64,241 out of 66,304). "While the rise in couples suggests extraordinary progress, we believe the census continues to undercount same-sex partners because many people are still not comfortable answering in a federal survey about their sexual orientation," said Smith. "The 2000 Census confirms that gay and lesbian families are present in virtually every corner of the nation," said Gary Gates, a research associate with the Urban Institute, a Washington-based non-partisan policy think tank specializing in statistical analysis and working with HRC on a special census project tracking same-sex partner households. "This suggests significant geographical diversity among America's gay and lesbian families and offers a rich source for future demographic research on a segment of our population that has unfortunately too often been ignored." To date, the U.S. Census Bureau has only released counts of gay- and lesbian-coupled households, but as more information is released, we will be able to determine the number of children living in these households, income, racial profile, home ownership and other important demographics. More information on gay families can be found on the web at FamilyNet, www.hrc.org/familynet. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 12, August 24, 2001. |