August 1, 2009
U.S. Census Bureau Slow at Math, So Will Release Raw Data on LGBT Marrieds
The Advocate explains:
A Commerce Department aide said Census preparation takes almost 10 years and the software would not be able to be altered in time for the once-a-decade count.“It’s a very long process to plan everything, test the questions, and test the software — all of which happened under the last administration,” the aide said.
As a fix, officials decided to release the raw data on married same-sex couples before that data is processed and tabulated by the software.
The Census Bureau’s first priority will be to report population data in late 2010 and early 2011 for the purposes of apportionment and congressional redistricting.
“Later in 2011, the Census Bureau will release detailed tabulations from the 2010 Census, including counts from the relationship question,” said a statement from the Commerce Department. “A footnote will indicate that there are no same-sex couples included in the husband/wife relationship category. At the same time, the Census Bureau will release counts from the relationship question, by state, that show the unedited data [that is, which do not recode same-sex couples who report themselves as husband/wife].”
The Bureau will start producing reports on the data in 2012, and according to the statement, “the Director has determined that one of these special reports will focus on the question of how same-sex couples report their relationships and what the unedited data reveal about this issue.”
Oh well, as long as they do release it. But… Ten years? I could write the whole program from scratch in two. Come to think of it, I’m certain numerous other geeks will grab the raw data and put out easily digestible reports long before the Bureau does.
Related:
(Institutionalized Homophobia + Taxation Without Representation) X DoMA = U.S. Census Bureau
July 12, 2008
Census Bureau’s Own Research Staff Demonstrated That Airbrushing Out Same-Sex Marriages Distorts Data
July 22, 2008
“Every Californian Counts”… Except Queers
June 16, 2009
White House Wants to Count Gay Marrieds in Census
June 18, 2009
2010 Census WILL Count Gay Marrieds
June 20, 2009
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Filed Under: Marriage, United States
