Homosexuality and the Census

And, lastly for today, I would just like to post a story from MSNBC about the census and say a few words:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36183327/ns/us_news-census_2010/

First, one word: Finally. Finally some official recognition. There are plenty of ways to work within the system to achieve recognition, and here is one. Unlike conservatives who are bashing the census, and then backtracking, social minorities are vigorously sending in their census forms this year as a means to gain sociopolitical recognition. The census functions, not only to represent a number of groups in fiscal considerations, but also to forward social acceptance.

The higher the official population of any particular minority, the more tools and resources that emerge to facilitate the equality of that group. The (un)official documentation of same-sex marriage, as a type of protest, may evolve into a broader discourse about marriage and the social position of every citizen. If anything, it allows couples to check a box that, for years, has been a locus of their silence.