Lawmakers Demand 2010 Census Count LGBT Couples

Led by openly gay reps Tammy Baldwin, Barney Frank, and Jared Polis, a coalition of 48 congressional members have sent a letter to the Office of Management and Budget demanding the the 2010 census count LGBT couples.

Last year, the Bush administration, citing the Defense of Marriage Act which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions, announced that lawfully married same-sex couples who marked “married” on their census forms would be changed to “unmarried partners.” But congressional members are calling on Orszag to reverse course. “We are deeply concerned about the implications of this policy for same-sex couples and for the integrity of the census as a whole and firmly believe the (Census) Bureau’s primary objective should be to collect data and report it, not collect data and alter it,” the Members said in their letter.

Opponents claim that counting LGBT couples amounts to a federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Barney Frank: "We are simply asking the Census Bureau to report the facts as they exist. This should not be controversial."