Every ten years our federal government administers the U.S. Census to count the total number of people residing in the United States. The U.S. Constitution requires the Census to be administered every ten years. They use this count to determine how to allocate funds for schools, hospitals, and roads, as well as programs like Medicaid, public housing, and food stamps. The count is also used to make sure that our federal, state, and local elected officials are each representing roughly the same number of people. When communities have low participation in the Census, they stand to lose funding for community services and have fewer elected officials representing them. 

In the 2010 U.S. Census, it is estimated that 16 million people weren’t counted correctly. Those undercounted people were disproportionately those who experience oppression, who lack visibility. Being counted means being heard. It means having our needs met. That’s why the LGBT community cannot stand to be an undercounted population any longer. 

Actor Theo Germaine (The Politician), Pennsylvania's Second Lady Gisele Fetterman, and Pennsylvania State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta will talk about why we need to come together to #QueerTheCensus! Register here to join us for a conversation about creating a world where we all count. Learn more about how to participate in the Census at www.bradburysullivancenter.org/census.