In the past, the Census Bureau categorized same-sex couples claiming to be married as unmarried partners. Recently, however, the bureau announced it will create a same-sex marriage category as it collects information on the American public. Andrew Cherlin, a sociologist at Johns Hopkins University, told The Washington Post, “I think the American public already thinks same-sex married couples are families, and the Census Bureau is just catching up with public opinion.” The move further undermines the states’ authority on marriage and is perhaps an example of how deeply the Census Bureau digs into citizens’ lives – requiring information about sexual “orientation.” In the hands of a computerized government, this information is powerful. It was only 70 years ago that a Democrat president rounded up Japanese-Americans using census data. More…