Queer the Census campaign

I've been meaning to write about the Queer the Census campaign for some time now. Since I (and presumably most the country) received the Census form today, I figured it would be as good a time as any.

While the campaign has laudable goals (getting a count of LGBT people), it still bothers me. The main problem is the push to get a sexual orientation question on the Census. As they even acknowledge, the Census only has 5 questions, which are basic demographic information. Sexual orientation would be out of place, especially as it's a matter of identity (although race also is, even though people often don't acknowledge such). It would fit better in the American Community Survey, although even that is mostly factual questions, not identity. Even if it were included, the data received would be suspect, or nearly meaningless. A person who isn't out to other members of their household (particularly the person filling out the form) wouldn't be recorded correctly. Bisexual people would likely be especially undercounted, whether in same or opposite sex relationships. There are also practical problems, like what orientation does an infant or young child have? Would there be a 'not applicable' box to cover those? How many exceedingly straight people would then check such a box?

Furthermore, there doesn't seem to a proposed question to be used on the Census or other forms. The one in the gimmicky stickers certainly isn't one (there isn't a straight option -- an actual question certainly wouldn't include allies). While writing sexual orientation questions certainly isn't easy, plenty of studies do so. Surely they could have come up with at least a proposed question -- even it wasn't finalized.

Another point, because it bothers me so much, is the sticker. It's very gimmicky. The answers for the fake question are so outdated. LGBTA, seriously? They couldn't even have 'queer' for a campaign called 'Queer the Census'? Never mind 'pansexual', 'asexual' or any of other various identities. Or the combining of transgender with sexual orientations -- at least they say 'check all that apply'.

In addition, there are other things I would rather see people pushing to change about the Census. Chiefly, the sex question could be changed to 'gender', and an 'other' option could be included. While someone is surely working on this (or perhaps 'gender identity' -- which is an unlikely phrasing for a question), it doesn't get nearly the attention.