Census

Yoda

"The number of same sex cohabiting couples recorded in the census increased from around 150 in 1996 to almost 1,300 in the most recent census. Two thirds of these were male couples." http://www.cso.ie/census/pdr_comment.htm

Well, now. This figure seems outrageously low. As I recall, the census didn't ask specifically about sexual orientation, but calculated same-sex partnerships: "if either you or your partner are the head of the household (or the appointed adult), by being person #1, the other partner (person #2) can answer question 3 and designate person #1 as their 'partner'"

There was some discussion about this in http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=48548 long ago before the census was taken.

It is alarming to see "almost 1,300" same-sex cohabiting couples listed. Did people not tick the partner box? "Almost 1,300" certainly sends the wrong message to Government, and will not stand us in good stead regarding partnership law reform.

oneweb

Just my 2c, but maybe a lot of people found the box-ticking and blank-filling a tad overwhelming (some people get flustered trying to fill in a simple form at the bank for example), or maybe the wording of the form was (as is often the case) more complicated than necessary.

Or, perhaps even some people felt the status of their relationship was their own beesknees.

Maybe. Maybe not. But yeah, it is massively understated.

Suzybie

The numbers reported (1300) are about 10 times what was recorded in the last census...this is not bad considering that the census did not ask if you were in a same sex relationship and also did not recognise the many lesbian and gay couples who do not live together! Also considering the form filling phobia of many and the fact that some people are in house shares or other situations where they do not want to identify their relationships or identities to others.

Yoda

Mayhap, but it still doesn't help us get partnership rights as it would if there were tens of thousands of couples reported.

Shinji

Mayhap, but it still doesn't help us get partnership rights as it would if there were tens of thousands of couples reported.

Do you really think there are tens of thousands of couples TO report? I'd be very surprised, personally...

Yoda

Well, I'm permanently partnered and very, very happy that way. Are you suggesting that this is rare in our community?

Suzybie

Personally I would not get concerned about the numbers game - it is unhelpful...what is the issue is human rights. Social research and lesbians and gay men and the counting game can be well documented as being a flawed arena....

Given the good pr of late on the issue including national newspapers editorials etc calling for change coupled (sic) with the work of the gorups involved in loobying and agenices like the NESF and the EA it won't be too long...

S

Yoda

I haven't seen such PR, but I've been busy. Is there really hope that the present government will do anything?

Shinji

Well, I'm permanently partnered and very, very happy that way. Are you suggesting that this is rare in our community?

Yes. Not massively rare, but certainly rare enough that I'd be surprised if there are more than 5000 cohabiting, long-term gay or lesbian partnerships in Ireland.

I also agree with Suzybie - this issue shouldn't be about numbers, it should be a moral and ethical argument about the human rights of the people involved, no matter HOW many of them there are.

Yoda

5000? The population is 3,917,203? If that old 10% is applied to it, we ought to have 400,000 gay people in Ireland. OK, some are too young, some too old, but even if there were 100,000 "marriageable" gays in Ireland, you think only 5% of them go for partnered relations? Are "we" that different from "them"?

Of course I agree that it's a matter of rights, and if there were only ONE couple it ought to be sorted. But a "mere" 1,300 makes it easier for the present government to put the matter on the long finger.