Why the "Choice Myth" Must be Defeated

I realize that I focus a great deal on ex-gay activities funded by the Christianist opponents of gay equality, but a new story concerning the U.S. Census Office shows the wide breath of the misinformation that arises from the pernicious myth that sexual orientation is a "choice." Hopefully, someone will get the message through to the Obama administration that this kind of ignorant bullshit is NOT acceptable and the policy will change. Someone seriously needs to educate Cynthia Endo of the Census Bureau that sexual orientation is not a "lifestyle." I would ask Ms. Endo if breathing is a lifestyle choice on her part. It goes without saying that without accurate census information it will make it far easier for our enemies to downplay the number of committed same sex relationships that actually exist nationwide. Here are some highlights from the Long Beach Press -Telegram:

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No matter the legal fate of Proposition 8, the 2010 Census will not count same-sex marriages or ask respondents about their sexual orientation. The federal Defense of Marriage Act signed in 1996 by President Bill Clinton does not recognize gay unions sanctioned by states.

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Census takers will ask same-sex couples who live together to define themselves as "unmarried partners," as they did in 2000 before some states - currently only Connecticut and Massachusetts - allowed gay marriage. "This is all about the numbers. This not about lifestyle or anything else," says U.S. Census spokeswoman Cynthia Endo.

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The omission of gay marriage and sexuality questions on the census bothers some gays and lesbians, who argue that a proper accounting would give them the same visibility as minorities, who gain political power when their numbers increase. "I am a sociologist and census data \ very important to our existence, and I don't like it when they leave things out, it causes an undercount," says Sharon Raphael, 67, who teaches gerontology at Cal State Dominguez Hills. "Certain numbers of us are not out, and when they hide us under these general descriptions ... it just makes us more invisible."

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The census form, Endo says, allows respondents to identify the number of adults in a given household and their relationship. Along with husband and wife, one of those choices is "unmarried partner." If two people of the same sex identify as husband and husband or wife and wife, the census will retain that answer, but when results are released those people will be counted as unmarried partners.

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Conservative groups tend to support the census the way it is. In a statement, ProtectMarriage.com, a group that backed Proposition 8, says, "The way that the federal government looks at it is the way that the law says it should be in California."