New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn are asking federal census officials to count same-sex marriages for 2010.Bloomberg and Quinn, who is a lesbian, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Tuesday saying that counting same-sex marriages is necessary for state and local officials who use the data to plan for programs and services. The Department of Commerce oversees the Census Bureau.
The Census Bureau cites the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, as the reason why it cannot count same-sex marriages performed in states. Last July, the bureau said that legally married same-sex couples from Massachusetts and California would be counted as unmarried, same-sex partners.
Since then, California voters have approved a ban on same-sex marriages, and Connecticut, Iowa, and Vermont have joined Massachusetts as states where same-sex marriage is legal.Same-sex marriage is not legal in New York, but same-sex marriages from other states are recognized there.
A Commerce Department spokesman said that the Census Bureau is reviewing its policies to ensure an accurate count, reports Newsday.
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