National
2010 Census count of gay couples is reduced
Agency now says 131,729 married same-sex couples in U.S.
The U.S. Census Bureau on Tuesday unveiled new data revealing that 131,729 married same-sex couples and 514,735 same-sex unmarried couples live in the United States.
Based on information compiled as part of the 2010 Census — the first time ever data on gay couples was collected as part of the effort — the new figures revise earlier estimates of same-sex couples published in the summer. Initial data showed 349,377 married same-sex couple households and 552,620 same-sex unmarried partner households.
Census Bureau staff discovered an inconsistency in the statistics that artificially inflated the number of same-sex couples. The adjusted results are closer to previously released estimates of the 2010 American Community Survey for same-sex married and unmarried partners.
In a statement, Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said his bureau understands “how important it is for all groups to have accurate statistics that reflect who we are as a nation.”
“As scientists, we noticed the inconsistency and developed the revised estimates to provide a more accurate portrait of the number of same-sex couples,” Groves said. “We’re providing all three — the revised, original and ACS estimates — together to provide users with the full, transparent picture of our current measurement of same-sex couples.”
According to the Census Bureau, the 2010 Census revised estimates were peer-reviewed by Gary Gates, a gay demographer with the Williams Institute at the University of California in Los Angeles, Philip Cohen, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Megan Sweeney, professor of sociology at UCLA. These experts agreed the methodology was sound behind these revised estimates.
Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, said the revised estimates demonstrate the need to advance marriage equality throughout the country.
“The number of gay and lesbian couples in committed, loving relationships, raising families together, continues to grow, leaving more and more families without the critical safety-net of marriage,” Wolfson said.
Rea Carey, executive director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, said the publication of the data is “another step in erasing the invisibility of our lives.”
“No longer are our marriages rendered invisible in the snapshot of our country provided through the Census,” Carey said. “And no longer can anyone ignore the presence of our relationships all across the country.”
The Task Force played a role in getting the U.S. Census Bureau to report the number of married same-sex couples in the 2010 census as part of its “Queer the Census” initiative.
Participants were encouraged to place a sticker on the back of their 2010 Census envelopes asking the U.S. Census Bureau to include LGBT people in the count. According to the Task Force, more than 140,000 stickers were sent in and more than 30,000 people signed a petition demanding LGBT-inclusion in efforts like the Census.
Despite the inclusion of information on same-sex couples, Carey said additional information — not just on couples but on individuals — is necessary for adequate insights about LGBT people in the United States.
“[LGBT] individuals still are not counted in the Census or dozens of other surveys that are supposed to reflect the diversity of people in America,” Carey said. “When LGBT people are not counted, we don’t ‘count’ when it comes to money for services, resources and programs. Census and other data are the basis for how the government spends billions of dollars each year.”
National
Queen Jean is Tony’s first transgender winner
Designer/activist wins for work on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’
It was a historic night at the 79th annual Tony Awards on Sunday as Queen Jean won the award for Best Costume Design of a Musical, making her the first out transgender person to win a Tony.
“This experience has been monumental. We are here for the legacy of queer people, trans people,” she said. “We are taking up space in ways we have to take up space. We have to shift the paradigm. So I just want to say, thank you all so much for this incredible honor. The world right now is deeply, deeply combating so many ailments, and we know as a society that when we come together, we can make real, permanent change.”
She won the award for her work on “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and was also nominated for best costume design of a play for “Liberation.”
In addition to her stage work, Queen Jean is the founder of Black Trans Liberation, an organization that supports trans and gender-nonconforming people in New York City.
National
Madonna turns Times Square into massive dance floor
Pop icon celebrates Pride month with surprise performance
Pop icon Madonna celebrated Pride month with a pop-up performance in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to the delight of 50,000 fans.
She performed for about 15 minutes high above street level, including several songs from her new album “Confessions II” due on July 3, along with a trio of songs from the first “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
In addition to the brand new “Love Sensation,” she performed “I Feel So Free” and “Bring Your Love,” plus “Hung Up,” “Get Together” and “I Love New York.” She wished the crowd a happy Pride season; the event was shared with audiences through Grindr’s first-ever livestream.
National
Gallup finds LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping
Marriage equality support lowest since 2016
Gallup, one of the leading organizations in public opinion polling, has found that LGBTQ support among Americans is dropping.
The poll, whose data was collected using Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, was conducted in May and was published on Wednesday. The data was collected through telephone interviews from a sample of more than 1,000 adults living in all 50 states and D.C. using random digit dialing.
It highlights declining attitudes surrounding LGBTQ issues in multiple areas — from support for same-sex marriage to views on gender identity and the morality of one’s sexuality.
One of the most striking findings was that support for marriage equality fell six points from its 2022-2023 high.
The survey also found that 62 percent of Americans view gay and lesbian relations as morally acceptable, the lowest level since 2016 just after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide by the U.S. Supreme Court.
One newer question on the poll found that the perceived morality of changing one’s gender has dropped eight points since 2021, indicating the American public is less supportive of transgender people.
The data attributes much of the decline to shifting Republican views alongside the party itself. Conservative leaders have pushed back against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that were intended to foster greater acceptance of LGBTQ people and other historically disadvantaged groups.
President Donald Trump has been a guiding force behind waves of anti-LGBTQ sentiment, particularly when it comes to trans rights. The president has enacted multiple executive orders, including Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which mandates that gender be defined by one’s sex assigned at birth. He also signed Executive Order 14183, “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” which barred qualified trans applicants from joining the military and led to the removal of trans service members already serving in the armed forces.
Additionally, he signed Executive Order 14201, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” which prohibits trans female athletes from participating on women’s and girls’ sports teams.
In February, Gallup found that an estimated 9 percent of Americans identified as part of the LGBTQ community in some form.
The organization also found that 23 percent of adults under age 30 identify as LGBTQ, compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 49 and 3 percent or less among those ages 50 and older.
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