2010 census will discount same-sex marriages. Ignoring same-sex marriages does not allow an accurate picture of America. Surprisingly, data shows Mississippi as having the largest number of same-sex couples with children, and registered same-sex couples live in just about every county in the U.S. Gilligan argues how ignoring the demography of LGBTs continues stereotypes of the population as exclusively white, urban, male, and wealthy. Gilligan’s good news is the Census Bureau is responsive to public pressure. Same-sex relationships remain the most contentious social issue in the United States, despite four decades of work by activists and scholars to change laws and attitudes that condemn queer people to second-class status in the U.S. The vicious struggle over same-sex marriage in California last year is but one example of the irrational homophobia that continues to dominate public discussions of LGBT rights.
LBGT people remain a go-to divisive issue in American politics and culture, researchers suggest, in part because of the lack of data available about how queer people really live their lives. In the absence of concrete data, misconceptions about gays and lesbians flourish, while the impact of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity remains unexamined.
