Census Bureau soon will ask about sexual and gender identity

The U.S. Census Bureau wants to ask American residents about their sexual orientation and gender identity, a move seen by activists as a long-overdue form of formal recognition that happens to be coming during a time of mixed acceptance and hostility.

“Any kind of inclusivity is welcome. Visibility is always good,” said Manny Muro, vice president of OC Pride, a group that works to build recognition and fight stigma for the LGBTQ+ community in Orange County, California.

“There hasn’t been an accurate count of our community for years, maybe ever,” Muro added. “And having this, in the census, will help make sure that federal dollars aimed at fighting discrimination, and helping people in need, won’t ignore us. We’ll see where this takes us.”

It’s unclear exactly how sexual orientation and identity questions will be phrased or when they will be asked.

—The Orange County Register

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu used campaign funds for ‘electeds of color’ holiday party, records show

BOSTON — Records show Boston Mayor Michelle Wu dipped into her $1.4 million campaign war chest to pay for last year’s controversial “electeds of color” holiday party, but did not use taxpayer funds as previously speculated and initially considered.

A series of emails, obtained by the Herald via a public records request, show that while city officials from the mayor’s administration were responsible for planning an exclusive holiday party hosted by Wu at the city-owned Parkman House, the event was ultimately paid out of her campaign coffers — which continue to grow given her prior remarks that it is “very” likely she will seek a second term.

While city funds were not ultimately used, the emails reveal that was not always the chosen case, with the mayor’s intergovernmental relations department — which sent the mistaken email invite to white city councilors that went viral after it was first reported by the Herald — initially set to pick up the tab.

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