WASHINGTON, DC – Today, May 12, 2020, the National LGBTQ Task Force, is launching phase 2 of their “Queer the Census” campaign, continuing to mobilize LGBTQ people across the country and ensure we are counted in the 2020 Census.
Starting today, the National LGBTQ Task Force debuted an updated Queer the Census landing page, will host virtual tours of the Census to take people through the form question by question and work with volunteers to make thousands of phone calls to LGBTQ people to make sure they know how to fill out the Census. Finally, in coalition with national, state, and local organizations that are part of the Census Counts campaign as well as national, state, and local LGBTQ organizations across the country, will prepare for an LGBTQ Census week of action and advocacy beginning June 8. All of these events, including registration information, can be found on the www.queerthecensus.org website.
“The Census helps LGBTQ communities access billions in federal funding for social programs, helps us build political power, and helps us enforce civil rights protections,” said Meghan Maury, Policy Director, National LGBTQ Task Force. “While the Census doesn’t ask questions about sexual orientation or gender identity, it’s still vital for us to be counted. Filling out the Census is a critical component in building our collective power to fight for our rights – including the right to be fully represented in the Census count. Like other marginalized communities, LGBTQ people have historically been undercounted on the Census,” continued Maury. “The ‘Queer the Census’ campaign is working to change that, so that our community can access the things it needs most – dollars, democracy, and justice,” they concluded.
The National LGBTQ Task Force, along with partner organizations including PFLAG, NQAPIA, the National Black Justice Coalition, the Movement Advancement Project[ , Equality California, Equality North Carolina, the Montrose Center, the LA LGBTQ Center, the NYC LGBT Center andn dozens of others, are organizing to ensure communities the census has historically missed have the information and resources they need to get counted — so they don’t miss out on critical community resources and political power.
For nearly 50 years, the National LGBTQ Task Force has organized digitally and directly on-the-ground, and the Census has been a focus of our advocacy since 1990.
The National LGBTQ Task Force has also signed on to the Census Counts campaign.