LGBT couples in China campaign to be counted in national census
- Once-in-a-decade demographic survey has no box to tick for same-sex relationships but some are disclosing them anyway
- National Bureau of Statistics says any information beyond predefined responses will not be recorded
Same-sex couples in China are seeking recognition in the country’s once-in-a-decade census, which officially began on November 1 after weeks of preliminary surveys.
Shanghai resident Lauren, 26, came out to the census-taking stranger who knocked on her door just a month after she had mustered the courage to tell her mother she was a lesbian. She asked to be identified only by her first name due to the sensitive nature of LGBT issues in China.
When asked her “relationship to head of household”, Lauren told the young man – one of 7 million conducting the census – that she and her girlfriend lived together. He ticked the box on the questionnaire for “other” and wrote “couple” next to it. The interaction was affirming, Lauren said, even if the handwritten note may not be reflected in the final results.
The National Bureau of Statistics has said any additional information beyond the predefined responses for the “relationship to head of household” category would not be recorded.
Soon after the census visit, Lauren saw on her social media feed posts urging same-sex couples to tell census takers: “They are not my roommate, they are my partner.”