Australia: Inclusion in National Census

[such]

Hi,

 

I am completely new here (hi), new to the whole ace thing and I certainly don't know much about ace activism, but I saw this in the news and I thought I might share it.

 

There is currently a campaign by the National LGBTI Health Alliance to include sexual orientation and gender identity in the Australian census (our next census would be 2021). The argument is that that data would be incredibly valuable for improving things like health services for LGBTI+ people. And of course for the sake of inclusion.

 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) are currently looking at if or how they would ask these questions in the next census, but it doesn't seem like asexuality is part of the conversation. The LGBTI Health Alliance doesn't seem to include asexual people in their advocacy at all (although they do represent organisations that do). It's also interesting to note that when the ABS have previously surveyed people on their sexual orientation, they only included the following categories: heterosexual, gay or lesbian, bisexual and other. Obviously how they frame these questions and how they allow people to respond has significant implications for different groups of people.

 

I am wondering if there is anything AVEN can do to advocate for ace inclusion at least within these conversations that are happening right now in Australia. The government will ultimately decide what will be included or not included and the census is still years away, but it seems like a pivotal time to just get that dialogue started.

 

Would love to hear people's thoughts, or if asexuality is included in the census in other parts of the world.

[everywhere and nowhere]

Here in Poland sexual orientation is definitely not included in censuses. And a lot of politicians manifestly behave as if they assumed that everyone is heterosexual.

[Snow in the background]

Here in Romania the government (is completely useless...) assumes that everyone is heterosexual and sexual orientation is definitely not included in censuses.

My country is really behind in terms of gender acceptance, and we know that asexuality is less known and less accepted even in developed countries such as USA, UK, Germany, etc... so...

[matt_lock]

Here in New Zealand they're discussing the issue, and although the govt felt that asking about sexual orientation on the 2018 census was not a good idea (report here ) some surveys have discussed the issue, and they're planning on including it in 2023 (cite ). Apparently, asexuality is on there, and they're considering adding in demisexuality and romantic/emotional attraction.

 

IMO, the following boxes need to be listed on every survey about sexual orientation (and probably every serious survey):

 

[ ] Other: Please specify

[ ] Don't know

[ ] Decline to answer

 

note: It needs to be `other: please specify', not just `other'. This will help whomever is studying the data to identify what options need to be added in future.

[Cicero]

Worth talking to @michaeld, who was having similar conversations with the UK's Office for National Statistics regarding the Census here.

[michaeld]

@such that is very interesting - as @Cicero says we've been doing a lot of work with the UK's ONS on this very subject, also the 2021 national census. We are getting a question on sexual orientation on the census. Asexuality has been part of the conversation, and we made a strong case for its inclusion as an option, but most likely it won't be included. On the other hand, there may well be a fill-in "other" box, and the latest draft of the guidelines I've read do actually mention asexuality as a possible thing you can fill in there.

 

Unfortunately I don't really have any contacts with our Australian counter-parts. If we had an "in" I could suggest they compare notes with the British ONS to take advice on how to frame the question (if it is included). Even if they accepted that in full, it wouldn't get asexuality included as an option, but it would be part of the conversation at least.

[such]

Hmmmm, interesting.

 

Looking at the Stats NZ page that @matt_lock linked to it looks like the stats offices around the world are already talking to each other. I guess it's good that there's an international movement towards this. (Also worth noting that the NZ statistical standards for sexual orientation differentiates between romantic attraction and sexual attraction and mentions asexuality.)

 

@michaeld In your case, do you know if the data from the "other" box would be published, i.e. we could all see how many people identify to be on the ace spectrum?

[michaeld]

I believe so. The problem may be that people might use all sorts of different terms to describe something similar. In one way that's great of course - we want everyone to identify with a label they are comfortable with - but on the other hand it might make data analysis difficult, if we're split between "asexual", "non-sexual", "celibate*", ...  etc.

 

* not the same as asexuality of course, but the term is more familiar so I wouldn't be surprised if some use it when they really mean asexual.

 

This is why it'll be really good if they can at least include the word asexual in the guidelines (as a suggestion for the "other" option).

[such]

Yes, okay this whole issue is definitely a lot more complicated than I originally thought!