U.S. Census Bureau Tracking Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation, Show Stunning, Confusing Results

The United States Census Bureau has just started asking about sexual orientation and gender identity in their major Household Pulse Survey which tracks COVID pandemic behaviors, experiences and beliefs among its citizens. The findings on both are genuinely curious and reflect how problematic the new gender and sexuality categories truly are. They do not track with common assumptions.

Gender

This latest Census data indicates that only 1% of all Americans identify as “transgender.” But what is most interesting is the remainder. One would assume that 99% of Americans would therefore identify as genuinely male or female. But this would be incorrect. Just under 96% say they are clearly and naturally male or female.

So what’s up?

The most stunning findings are found in the difference between the two groups: 1.5% of American adults – 3.8 million of them – identify as “none of these” and 1.7% – 4.2 million – refused to respond to the question. This means 3.2 percent of American adults do not identify as male or female or “transgender.”

This indicates that something very curious is up with gender identity in the United States. First, according to the American Psychiatric Association, “Transgender is a non-medical term” but merely an “umbrella term” describing anyone whose gender identity or expression falls outside traditional gender norms. This could even include a woman who fully considers herself a woman, but simply identifies as more masculine than most women. So while identifying as “transgender” is very elastic category, only 1% of Americans describe themselves as such.

More Americans (1.5%) describe themselves as neither male, female, nor transgender. Of course, this makes one wonder what they do consider themselves. Even more (1.7%) refused to answer the question. This means that either more Americans truly don’t know their gender, are something other than male, female, or transgender, whatever that might be, or perhaps, just simply refuse to play along with whole gender identity game. But this data does indeed show us that things add up in a very funny and curious way when it comes to this question.

Sexual Orientation

They U.S. Census is currently also asking about sexual orientation. They report that only 3% of Americans identify as either “gay or lesbian” even though Americans tend to dramatically overestimate that number of late. Just over 4% of Americans say they are “bisexual.”

But similar to the findings above on gender identity, there also seem to be a great deal of confusion or unwillingness to give a direct answer. Roughly 7% of Americans say they are “something else” beyond gay, lesbian, straight or bi, “don’t know” or simply refused to answer. Four percent explicitly said their sexual orientation was literally “something else” or “I don’t know.”

Again, this indicates a great deal of confusion about something that is such a fundamental part of being human or more people are refusing to answer the question seriously than actually identify as either gay or lesbian.

These numbers tell us that the overall number Americans who are same-sex attracted or transgender is much smaller than most assume and those who refuse to give a straight answer on the question is larger. This says something very significant about American’s feelings on the matter, and what that is is simply more confusing than it is clarifying.

At least, according to the most recent data from the U. S. Census Bureau.

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