Let me ask you a question, do LGBTQ members and non LGBTQ people get equal rights?
I know that in some establishments and in some states they do, but we are looking at the bigger picture.That bigger picture is: the rest of the LGBTQ community country wide.
The U.S. Census Bureau has never included a category on the LGBTQ community, BUT they have categories for the type of plumbing in your house. Do you see the problem here? It’s not just a problem for the LGBTQ community it's a problem for federal agencies to accurately track the size demographics and needs for the community.
According to NBC News, supporters of the LGBTQ community have been campaigning for years to include questions on sexual orientation and gender identity. They were briefly elated when the 2020 census draft was released. But hopes were demolished when the U.S. census bureau released a statement saying the LGBTQ inclusion was a mistake. "If the government doesn’t know how many LGBTQ people live in a community, how can it do its job to ensure we’re getting fair and adequate access to the rights, protections and services we need?" asked Meghan Maury, Policy Director for the national LGBTQ task force.
This issue needs to be dealt with because no one actually knows the exact number of people who identify as LGBTQ in the country. 3.8 percent of the adult population in the U.S. identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. But federal data sources do not include questions on sexual orientation or gender identity. Because of this, they can only produce a reasonable estimate compiled from an array of surveys. If more people knew how big the LGBTQ community is, they would have a different attitude towards it. The more information the people have about the LGBTQ community, the more they will begin to accept it.
One transgender female had a hard time dressing to go to the beach; she was afraid of what people would think of her. But she overcame her fear and wore her swim suit. You may be thinking why she told us this story. The reason I told you this story is: what about the group of transgender people that don't have the courage to stand up for themselves what about the rest of the whole LGBTQ group?
We can make a change in so many peoples lives if the census had LGBTQ categories. If more people knew how many people are in the LQBTQ community, more people will accept it. It is not going to solve all the problems involving the LGBTQ community, but it is a good start.
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