Roll Call – The Census Bureau estimates about 1 million same-sex married and unmarried couples are living together nationwide, according to new figures released Tuesday. Same-sex households make up about 1 percent of all homes, according to data released as part of the Current Population Survey and the first time such figures were included in its main results. The estimates provide a limited glimpse into the LGBTQ population in America, which has not shown up in federal surveys for much of the nation’s history.
The Census Bureau plans to include more data about same-sex relationships but advocates worry decisions by President Donald Trump’s administration have hindered efforts to count LGBTQ residents as a whole. Limiting that ability may have implications for assessing the needs of the community as well as spending in federal programs. “It’s significant progress and we are excited about it, but we’re really missing quite a lot of community data,” said Meghan Maury, policy director for the National LGBTQ Task Force.
For instance, household data is used in measuring poverty, household composition and other demographic factors, according to the Census Bureau. Tuesday’s data release also showed several other broad trends in American households: the number of adults living alone has risen, along with the number of households without children. READ MORE
