PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE ON TO OTHERS TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD THAT THIS TIME WE CAN COUNT.

For more information on the census, super reform or the Lobby’s election campaign visit www.glrl.org.au

PRESS RELEASE - July 2001

Come out and be counted

Lobby calls on lesbians and gay men
to come out on census night

The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby are urging lesbians and gay men in Australia to come out on Census night. The 14th Australian Census of Population and Housing is to be held on the night of August 7, with Census forms being distributed across Australian households between July 28 and 6 August 2001.

Lesbians and gay men in relationships can identify in the household census form as being in a same sex de facto relationship in question 5. To have a same sex relationship counted in the census, you need to tick that householder 2 is in a de facto relationship with householder 1.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE ON TO OTHERS TO HELP SPREAD THE WORD THAT THIS TIME WE CAN COUNT.

Census data is used to plan government and community services and may be useful in lobbying for equal rights. For example, it can help with the Lobby’s election campaign for superannuation reform by showing that for many of us the current situation where our partners miss out is a problem. Low numbers identifying their relationships in the last Census - probably due to lack of education by the Census that for the first time they would allow same sex couples to tick the relevant box and would not change the data afterwards – has been used against us. This is our chance to ensure a more accurate reflection of a diverse Australian society.

Privacy is guaranteed by law and census forms are destroyed unless householders have chosen to be part of the Centenary of Federation Census Time Capsule which will involve identified census forms being kept secret by the National Archives for 99 years. After 99 years the information may be available to historians and other researchers. The Lobby is also encouraging some gays and lesbians to the part of this project but emphasises participation is optional and other forms will not be kept.