Jerry Nadler: “I rise today with an important message about the census to members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender…”

“I rise today with an important message about the census to members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. While the census will not account for how many people are in the gay and lesbian community, the 2000 Census will count same-sex couples who live together. The census counts unmarried partners, regardless of gender, as well as their children. Mr. Speaker, the census is the most important source of information about who we are, where we live, what we earn, how we vary by race and ethnicity, and how many children we have. The census numbers matter. They lead to changes in laws and policies that affect all of our lives. I believe everyone in this Chamber is in agreement that it is important for every American to fill out their census forms and be counted. I do not believe I would be going out on a limb to say we all want people to fill out the forms openly and honestly. So if anyone out there is living with someone else as a couple, you should check 'unmarried partner' to describe your relationship.”