The new census deadline is quickly approaching, leaving us just one month to secure an accurate count of our community. Every 10 years, the federal government tries to count every person living in the United States. This count directly affects you and our democracy. But many marginalized communities go under counted  or not counted at all . Transgender and queer folx, LGB communities,  black people and other people of color, people in  rural areas, immigrants, people experiencing homelessness, people who have low incomes, renters, people with young children, and people with limited English proficiency , have been historically under counted, shifting federal resources away from the communities that rely on them the most. 

         The census is used to redraw district lines and distribute representative seats, positions that hold power to fight for you and your community’s rights. It also determines the distribution of social service funding that contributes to Medicaid, Section 8 Housing vouchers, federal and state assistance programs for people living with HIV, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program or SNAP. The amount of money each state receives to support these necessary and crucial programs is determined directly by the census count. 

         The census, which determines how federal dollars are allocated, has typically favored  wealthy, white communities of homeowners, leaving less resources for communities that need them most. LGBTQ people exist in all spaces, across many marginalized lines. We are sometimes people of color, at times we experience homelessness and receive assistance from federally funded programs, we are single parents, or we may be immigrants. No matter how we exist, we deserve to be fairly represented and accounted for. To be counted in this census is to be heard. And to be heard is to have federal resources fairly and justly distributed to communities who need them the most. 

         It is time to do your part. It is time to complete your census form and for you to help preserve our democracy. Each of us has a duty to protect our communities, ensuring that on September 30th, 2020, an accurate count has been made, and that important financial resources and state representative seats will be fairly distributed. To complete your census form, visit www.mycensus2020.gov. And for more information as to how you can better serve our LGBT community and be a part of securing our rights for a more fair and safe future, please visit www.georgiaequality.org.