Comments on: links for 2007-04-27 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/04/27/links-for-2007-04-27/ Making things useful, getting stuff done Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:47:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: anarsist http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/04/27/links-for-2007-04-27/comment-page-1/#comment-97009 anarsist Sun, 15 Jul 2007 22:28:54 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/04/27/links-for-2007-04-27/#comment-97009 "Homosexuality is illegal throughout Nigeria." interesting.. but that's true.. “Homosexuality is illegal throughout Nigeria.”

interesting..
but that’s true..

]]> By: Meri http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/04/27/links-for-2007-04-27/comment-page-1/#comment-88994 Meri Tue, 08 May 2007 14:44:54 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/04/27/links-for-2007-04-27/#comment-88994 Well, I figure if "Jedi Knight" is a valid religion, then it can't be THAT difficult to account for sexual orientation. If you already have a gender question (which should include a transgender option) then it basically boils down to: - heterosexual - gay/lesbian - bisexual - other Anyone who wants to define themselves as "bi-curious" or "open-minded" can then use Other. You are completely right that it won't get 100% accuracy, but something is better than nothing! I was on a BBC World Radio show when civil partnerships came out where the right-wing representative was claiming that only 0.5% of the population was gay and therefore the legislation was completely irrelevant. Compare that to the gay community where people believe anything from 10-20% of people are gay. Some statistics in this area can only help for representation. Well, I figure if “Jedi Knight” is a valid religion, then it can’t be THAT difficult to account for sexual orientation. If you already have a gender question (which should include a transgender option) then it basically boils down to:

- heterosexual
- gay/lesbian
- bisexual
- other

Anyone who wants to define themselves as “bi-curious” or “open-minded” can then use Other.

You are completely right that it won’t get 100% accuracy, but something is better than nothing! I was on a BBC World Radio show when civil partnerships came out where the right-wing representative was claiming that only 0.5% of the population was gay and therefore the legislation was completely irrelevant.

Compare that to the gay community where people believe anything from 10-20% of people are gay.

Some statistics in this area can only help for representation.

]]> By: Guy Rintoul http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/04/27/links-for-2007-04-27/comment-page-1/#comment-88985 Guy Rintoul Tue, 08 May 2007 12:31:40 +0000 http://blog.meriwilliams.com/2007/04/27/links-for-2007-04-27/#comment-88985 While I agree that it's probably a good idea to include the question of sexual orientation in the census, it's worth noting that compared to many of the other questions (which have much more defined answers) there are some more difficult issues. For one thing, the possible answers need to be much more "wooly", as different people define themselves many different ways (gay/bi/curious/lesbian/open-minded/unsure etc etc)... wonder how to account for that? Also, from an accuracy POV surely there's a lot of people who either wouldn't answer honestly or where other people would fill in the census for them and put an incorrect answer (e.g. parents filling it in for their children). Just a thought, but almost certainly a worthwhile question... (Have signed the petition between starting and finishing writing this rambling comment!) While I agree that it’s probably a good idea to include the question of sexual orientation in the census, it’s worth noting that compared to many of the other questions (which have much more defined answers) there are some more difficult issues.

For one thing, the possible answers need to be much more “wooly”, as different people define themselves many different ways (gay/bi/curious/lesbian/open-minded/unsure etc etc)… wonder how to account for that?

Also, from an accuracy POV surely there’s a lot of people who either wouldn’t answer honestly or where other people would fill in the census for them and put an incorrect answer (e.g. parents filling it in for their children).

Just a thought, but almost certainly a worthwhile question…

(Have signed the petition between starting and finishing writing this rambling comment!)

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