Calls for ‘gay question’ on 2011 census
February 23rd, 2008
The next UK census should include questions about sexual orientation, according the the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Stonewall.
The census is taken every ten years and provides the Government with data about the UK population which helps inform Government policies. The TUC and Stonewall believe that a question about sexuality is essential to ensure that the UK’s LGBT population is not ignored.
“There are currently no statistics on LGBT people and this means they are missing out,” says SERTUC Regional Secretary Megan Dobney. “Decisions on allocation of resources, by local authorities for example, are taken on the basis of the census and LGBT people are at present unable to get their share as there is no data on them.
“Over recent years, there has been a dramatic change in the legal position of LGBT people and significant improvements in their social acceptance as equal citizens. It’s time for the census to reflect these changes and collect information about the LGBT community.”
The TUC and Stonewall admit that the issue of including a ‘gay question’ on the census is not without problems. They suggest an option of ‘prefer not to say’ to allow people to choose not to disclose their sexuality, but they admit they don’t know if there should be a question about transgender identity.
The next UK census will be taken in 2011.
What do you think? Would you tell the Government your sexuality on a census?
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