A New Census Series
(Wednesday, May 22, 2019)
We’d like to introduce to a new series of resources to help breakdown the 2020 Census, and how we’re going to Queer it. This month’s document is an introduction to our guide to the 2020 Census. Check out a preview of the content and layout below. And you can find a link to download the actual PDF at the bottom of this page.
A Preview
What is the Census?
Every 10 years, the federal government attempts to count every person living in the U.S. for the Census, also known as the “Decennial Census” or the “short form Census.” The next Census will aim to take a snapshot of all people living in the U.S. on April 1, 2020. Results from the Census directly affect issues of democracy – Census data are used to redraw district lines and distribute representative seats – and determine funding of social service programs for each state, including Medicaid, Section 8 housing vouchers, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Census data are also used by advocates to ensure they are meeting the needs of people in our communities, and by litigators to enforce civil rights protections.
Why should LGBTQ people care about the Census?
Although the goal of the Census is to count everyone living in the U.S., certain populations are inevitably undercounted. Transgender and queer people, LGB people, people of color, immigrants, people who are experiencing homelessness, renters, people living in rural areas, people with low incomes, single-parent households, people with limited English proficiency, and young children are overwhelmingly undercounted in the Census. To ensure fair access to democracy and social services funding, it is important for our community to be accurately counted in the 2020 Census.
