Will gay marriages be counted in the upcoming census? Alex Miranda has the answer.




After a bowl of Cheerios and a glass of orange juice, Ken Seifert and Josh Israel get ready for work. It's a morning routine in their suburban Washington condo. And like their marriage, it's something they don't take for granted. Which is why, after their wedding, they were excited to check 'married' on their 2010 Census form. But Seifert and Israel, and thousands of same-sex married couples across the county, are in for a big surprise.

According to The Census Bureau, when gay and lesbian married couples check 'married' on their census form, The Bureau will literally edit out that answer and reclassify them as "unmarried partners." The agency cites the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the government from recognizing same-sex marriage. Tim Olson of The Census Bureau says, "As a federal agency, we are required to follow federal law."

But president of People For the American Way Kathryn Kolbert says The Bureau is "distorting the truth." Same-sex marriages in the states of California and Massachusetts "are legitimate legally recognized marriages, and the census ought to reflect that."

And although The Census Bureau will exclude Seifert and Israel's marriage from the 2010 report, the say, "we're a married couple, and we know that to be true."