This type of thing makes me super uncomfortable.

IDK how things roll in Canada but here in Australia census is now linked to your identity although they claim to de-identify the data later on. Unfortunately the Australian Government has demonstrated many times that they’re just incapable of handling this type of information responsibly.

We don’t have an authoritarian government but that could change. They don’t need a list of all the non-hetero people in Australia.

100% agree, which is a shame because having real numbers for the proportion of the population that don’t fit into what the bigots think is normal might help to convince some of them that they’re not so normal. (I’m not saying this very well, but I think you get what I mean.)

Yeah.

I’m not really confident that this is the best way to produce real numbers.

How many people would list their orientation as hetero because they don’t want other people in their household to know, or because they don’t want to be in a database as we have discussed.

There must be other ways to determine some numbers which are accurate enough for government purposes.

As a hetero, I will NOT be answering that question on the census. This is information they just do not need, having a nice local badly secured repository of sensitive info. Didn’t OSAP get hacked and a thumb drive walk out of a secured area? Our govt will not use it properly, will not secure it properly, I am sure

Last time we had a census in Australia you could either do it online or on paper. I assume you couldn’t just decline to answer individual questions.

It was the first time the required you to identify yourself. I didn’t complete one as a kind of conscientious objector. They never followed up with me but the penalties are significant.

$500 bucks to not answer the census, couldn’t find if we just refuse to answer 1 question. Small price to pay to object to this unnecessary collection of data

Edit: When they come-a-knockin I will check back and let you know what if any consequences

OSAP is an Ontario program, Stat Can is federal.

Stat can has been modernizing but they’re still like 10 years behind industry.

Though your point still stands, I’m hetero and still would not want to provide the government a list of my sexual orientation under any circumstances.

The screwballs will be out in full force over this, but they always protest the census anyways.

But this data is, as evidenced by current events in the USA, very sensitive. I’m not convinced they can protect it.

My philosophy is this: I’ll answer truthfully, and if my country gets to the point where I’m worried that being truthful in my census questionnaire will put me at risk, this is no longer a country I want to be living in and I’ll move.

I know this is coming from a place of privilege but I can afford it, and I believe that everyone that can afford it should do it too.

Names and data are separated immediately, if you are still uncomfortable with your name and data being together. Do not put your real name down.

Do not put anything queer on there, it’s for your own safety

Haven’t done one so I don’t know, but that’s helpful for those who do need to do this.

Census happens every 5 years. The Canadian Community Health Survey and a few of the other core surveys have asked this question in the past.

Cishet male here, but as far as this census is concerned, flaming rainbows fly out of my ass.

Isn’t census data used to determine availability and funding for social programs?

So the options are “disclosed personal information the government has no business knowing.” or “cause services important to your [group] to be underfunded/cut”.

Lose/lose.

They are cutting this funding so it does not pay to tell them you are gay