What the U.S. Census means to LGBTQ people & why you should fill it out. Now.

If you haven’t taken a moment to think about the 2020 U.S. Census, you should, especially today on Census Day. An accurate Census count is important for every American. For historically marginalized populations – like LGBTQ folks, people of color, immigrants, and women – it’s absolutely critical that we count everyone.

Do you want anti-LGBTQ politicians to gain more power? Neither do I, so let’s talk about how the Census impacts our community.

Related: Anti-gay bigot Matt Barber mad at Census for acknowledging same-sex couples

The Census is only taken once every 10 years, so the impact of an inaccurate count will last. An under-count could starve our communities of much-needed funding and shift political representation in ways that negatively impact LGBTQ people.

Census data is used for everything from deciding how Congressional districts are drawn to how much money gets allocated for government programs where you live. LGBTQ people use the programs whose funding is based on Census data – like SNAP benefits (food stamps), housing assistance, and Medicaid – at higher rates than the general public. For example, nearly 21% of LGBTQ households depend on Medicaid, whereas only 13% of non-LGBTQ households use the program.

While the Census doesn’t ask about sexual orientation explicitly, the Census Bureau has expanded the options for identifying your relationship in the 2020 survey. This year, couples of the same gender will…

Read full story, and more, from Source: What the U.S. Census means to LGBTQ people & why you should fill it out. Now.