Both Sides Debate Gay Count in Census

The U.S. Census Bureau, which decided it would count legally married same-sex couples during the 2010 national tabulation, is expected to turn up several statistics supporting needs for federal reform on gay rights.

According to the Washington Post, some gay advocacy groups will expexct the results to show the need for legal rights like employment protections and parental adoption rights.

"Why does the census ask if people are young or old, black or white, married or single?" Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, told the Post. "It's because we want to understand if the country is meeting the public-policy needs of those Americans. That's particularly so for LGBT Americans."

However, gay rights opponents like Wendy Wright, of Concerned Women for America, say the numbers will just be used to "force people to go along with whatever they demand. Regardless of what the numbers are, they're going to exaggerate the importance of it and claim all of society must change in order to comport with their demands.