I think it’s really interesting that sex and race (and arguably class, through questions about salary and home value) are on the census, but not sexuality. What makes the former categories something the census needs to ask about and sexuality something it doesn’t? Does sexuality somehow exist less? Is it less important to the nation to know about? If census questions construct the range of possibilities for race and sex, does this mean there isn’t a range of possibility for sexuality at all? I think these are really important questions, but the one I’m interested for this writing is: What would a question about sexuality look like if the census included it? How would the census construct sexuality?

What is your sexual orientation?
<> heterosexual <> homosexual

or perhaps:

<> heterosexual <> homosexual
<> bisexual

Or might the census draw from that popular collection of letters, GLBTQ?

What is your sexual orientation?
<> straight <> bisexual
<> gay/lesbian <> transgender
<> questioning

(I want to be really clear that I don’t intend to say transgender is a sexual orientation. I’m just exploring possibilities of what the census form might say.)

What if they added an “other?”
<> straight <> bisexual
<> gay/lesbian <> other: _______________

Would they acknowledge “queer?” Would it be a separate category on the list above? Would it replace “other?” Or would it contain everything considered other?

<> straight <> queer

Would the 2000 census be even more intrusive?

Question 1: Are you straight?
<> Yes (skip to question 10) <> No

Question 2: If not straight, what is your sexual orientation?
<> gay/lesbian <> questioning
<> bisexual <> “queer”

Question 3: How long has this been your sexual orientation?
<> Less than a year
<> 1-5 years
<> 6-15 years
<> 15+ years

Question 4: How many straight experiences did you have before realizing you weren’t straight?
<> 0 <> 1 <> 2 <> 3+ <> Married

Question 5: If you identify as “bisexual,” what gay-to-straight ratio are you? (Please round to multiples of ten.)
<> 10-90
<> 20-80
<> 30-70
<> 40-60
<> 50-50
<> 60-40
<> 70-30
<> 80-20
<> 90-10

Question 6: If you are a gay man, what role do you play in the relationship?
<> the man <> the woman

Question 7: If you are a gay man, was your mother overbearing and/or your father emotionally distant?
<> normal mother and father
<> normal mother and emotionally distant father
<> overbearing mother and normal father
<> overbearing mother and emotionally distant father

Question 8: Which kind of homosexual are you?
<> I keep it to myself and I’m just like you
<> I shove it in your face

Question 9: If you are a homosexual, are you considering gender reassignment surgery?
<> Yes <> No
If no, why not? _____________________________________