Woma
logs
o to
the
ce sus
website
as
he
husba d
holds
thei
daughte
while
thei
so
plays
behi d
them,
i
Syd ey.
(Photo:
AP)
Aust alia s
aged
16
a d
ove
a e
bei g
asked
optio al
questio s
about
thei
sexual
o ie tatio
a d
ge de
fo
the
fi st
time
i
the
cou t y’s
ce sus,
afte
the
Labo
gove me t
eve sed
a
ea lie
decisio
to
exclude
them.The
66-questio
ce sus,
held
o
Tuesday,
allows
espo de ts
to
ide tify
thei
sexual
o ie tatio
as
st aight,
gay
o
lesbia ,
bisexual,
do ‘t
k ow,
p efe
ot
to
a swe ,
o
p ovide
a othe
te m.
A
sepa ate
questio
asks
about
sex
eco ded
at
bi th,
while
people
aged
16
a d
ove
a e
also
asked
about
thei
cu e t
ge de .Respo de ts
ca
select
ma ,
woma ,
o -bi a y,
a othe
te m
o
p efe
ot
to
a swe .
Religio ,
which
has
bee
i cluded
i
eve y
Aust alia
ce sus
si ce
1911,
also
emai s
a
optio al
questio .
Labo
eve ses
ce sus
decisio
The
Labo
gove me t
had
pledged
befo e
its
2022
electio
victo y
to
collect
data
o
sexuality
a d
ge de .
Howeve ,
it
decided
i
2024
ot
to
i clude
the
questio s,
citi g
co ce s
ove
social
cohesio .The
decisio
t igge ed
c iticism
f om
LGBTQ+
advocates
a d
some
Labo
lawmake s.
Deputy
P ime
Mi iste
Richa d
Ma les
said
i
August
2024
that
the
gove me t
wa ted
to
avoid
a
divisive
public
debate.Two
days
late ,
P ime
Mi iste
A tho y
Alba ese
co fi med
that
a
sexual-o ie tatio
questio
would
be
i cluded.
The
Aust alia
Bu eau
of
Statistics
(ABS),
which
dete mi es
the
wo di g
a d
layout
of
ce sus
questio s,
said
co sultatio s
showed
co side able
i te est
i
collecti g
ge de
a d
sexual-o ie tatio
data.ABS
chief
statisticia
David
G ue
said
the
questio s
we e
made
optio al
because
while
some
people
co side ed
the
i fo matio
impo ta t,
othe s
did
ot
wa t
to
disclose
it.
Othe
cou t ies
al eady
collect
data
Aust alia
joi s
seve al
cou t ies
that
have
i t oduced
simila
ce sus
questio s.
E gla d
a d
Wales
i cluded
volu ta y
questio s
o
sexual
o ie tatio
a d
ge de
ide tity
i
thei
2021
ce sus,
while
New
Zeala d
i t oduced
questio s
o
ge de
a d
sexual
ide tity
i
2023.Ca ada
has
also
added
a
sexual-o ie tatio
questio
to
its
2026
lo g-fo m
ce sus.The
2020
US
ce sus
asked
espo de ts
to
ide tify
thei
sex
as
male
o
female
but
did
ot
di ectly
ask
about
sexual
o ie tatio .
It
did,
howeve ,
i clude
sepa ate
elatio ship
catego ies
fo
same-sex
spouses
a d
same-sex
u ma ied
pa t e s.
Mo e
tha
5
millio
fo ms
eceived
Aust alia s
who
k ew
whe e
they
would
be
o
ce sus
ight
could
complete
thei
fo ms
afte
eceivi g
i st uctio s.
Pape
fo ms
a e
available
o
equest,
while
field
staff
assist
homeless
people
a d
eside ts
of
emote
a eas.People
who
fail
to
comply
with
a
w itte
di ectio
to
complete
the
ce sus
ca
face
a
fi e
of
up
to
A$364
($257)
fo
each
day
of
o -complia ce.By
Tuesday
mo i g,
the
ABS
had
eceived
mo e
tha
5
millio
completed
fo ms
a d
expects
ea ly
11
millio
ove all.
About
85%
of
fo ms
a e
p ojected
to
be
completed
o li e,
compa ed
with
79%
i
2021,
whe
lockdow s
affected
mo e
tha
half
of
Aust alia’s
populatio .Aust alia
Natio al
U ive sity
demog aphe
Liz
Alle
said
the
ce sus
could
go
fu the
by
aski g
whethe
espo de ts
a e
i te sex,
efe i g
to
people
bo
with
ch omosomal,
ho mo al
o
a atomical
t aits
that
do
ot
fit
typical
male
o
female
defi itio s.
