Hidden from Census: Queer People, Straight Census

Same-Sex Couples and the Israeli Census

Vered Kraus and Yuval Yonay, University of Haifa
(yyonay@soc.haifa.ac.il)

Paper presented at the American Sociological Meetings, Chicago, August 2002

Goals
To peep into the lives of closeted people from a unique perspective. To introduce Lesbian and gay (LG) couples into official statistics and learn basic sociological characteristics of LG couples. To explore how queer people respond to the risk of being exposed in formal surveys. To discuss ethical dilemmas related to the possibility of identifying queer couples against their will. To learn how the results of the encounter between queer people and official bureaucracies are reflected in the final outputs of those bureaucracies. To comprehend more generally the nature of the interaction of social science research and minority people and the limitations of social science itself. To comprehend the hidden straight assumptions behind many surveys and to highlight potential other biases due to these assumptions.

Sociology of Lesbians and Gays in the Census

The census as a unique social endeavor: It is ten times larger than any other social science project. It reaches supposedly any single household in the country.

The census is used in policy making and in social planning (not as crucial as in the US in determining budget allocation and political representation but still important). The intrusion into our homes is believed to be harmless, asking basic questions that people should have no problem answering. But: Social surveys may expose gay people by documenting the The very intrusion of a stranger who represents the state and living of two persons of the same sex at the same residential unit. in risk. How LG couples respond to the census and other surveys: Many LG spend a great deal of energy to avoid their Even those who are open to their friends, family and at the identification as such; this practice is still pervasive today. workplace wish not to be identified by government agencies and other bureaucracies, or by strangers who happen to enter their homes, and who may betray the information to the neighbor next door. Most surveys, therefore, do not ask about sexual preferences, orientation, and practices, even when such questions are relevant. o Surveys that are GL targeted are biased toward gays and Lesbians who are more active in the community. o Laumann et al.s study (NHSLS) and GSS might be biased as well. whose task is to provide information on private lives puts closeted GL couples

How many Lesbians and Gays?

Who Cares? Activists resist attempts to count GLBT people: The rights of these people should not depend on their number. Any count is prone to yield gross underestimation.

Yet social scientists want to know processes. Why not? Not studying Lesbians and gays because it is a private matter connotes a sense of shame; something we should not talk about. Who is gay/Lesbian? The Lesbian continuum/the gay continuum Here we look for two-men and two-women couples. Practical and theoretical motivations; understanding social trends and

We do not search other types of queer families

Methodology
The Israeli census: in Israel. --A larger one is distributed randomly to fifth of the households Employment, income, residence and marriage history, children, and it includes questions on: household appliances, car ownership, housing, religion, country of birth of individuals and parents. We have extensive information on 352,518 households in Israel. o We excluded non-Jewish respondents. Most of the non-Jewish population in Israel is Palestinian-Arabs, who live in highly segregated villages, towns, and neighborhood, where extended families still live in close proximity and social Two types of forms: --A very short one is supposed to be filled for all people living

control is very high. The likelihood of finding a queer household in such a place is, therefore, nil. o Also excluded are recent immigrants, mostly from the former Soviet Union, who arrived in 1990-1995; not all family members came together; reliance upon creative accommodation arrangements during the first years in Israel. In each household, one adult had to identify herself or himself as the head of the household (arbitrary; as convenient for the interviewees). The rest of the residents of the household are identified according to their relation to the head. The available categories include: Spouse; son/daughter; a sibling; mother/father; Son/daughter-in-law; father/mother-in law; cousin; Another family relation; no family relation [a roommate; a sublet; a friend]; Unknown. Note: The word for spouse in Hebrew does not assume marriage; people are asked separately about their family status, where they can choose among married, single, widowed, and divorced. We have no clue about the sexuality of people who live alone; nor can we identify married Lesbians and gays, who live with a person of the other sex but are sexually attracted to people of their own sex. We have attempted, therefore, to identify only gay couples that live together. o Same as in Dan Black et al. article in Demography (May 2000), but we looked at each case separately; ethnography of statistical files. What would be the reaction of a gay man or woman when asked about other persons living in the house? Spouse if they have no problem with exposing themselves as Another relation, properly treating the partner as belonging to gay to the interviewer or even perceive it as a political move; the family without using the explicit term of spouse, which at least formally does not fit; No relation, further distancing themselves from the other No identification at all; person to avoid questions and possible exposure;

It is also possible to hide the fact that another person lives in the household. Our study is based on the examination of all the households with two women or with two men who are more than 35 year old (including those with more than 2 persons in the household). o Assumption: apartment sharing of two unrelated adults is very rare (except of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, where rent is up to $300 per room per month).

Hints used in speculations (examples): o The same year of immigration and the same origin ===> probably belong to the same family. o Number of rooms: if there is only one or one and a half room it may indicate that the residents are life partners or extremely poor. o Two person with very low incomes, or, if income is missing, working in lowpaying occupations/very low education. o Marriage at a very early age. o A large number of children.

The stereotypical gay couple: two adults, with at least secondary education, both employed (if not retired). o A danger of not identifying Lesbians and gays with little education, in manual jobs, immigrants from traditional societies.

Table 1 Likelihood of LG couples of all Two-Women and Two-Men Households

All Jewish Households without Recent Immigrants, Census 1995
Likelihood of Gay/lesbian Couple Type of Household Two men Married spouses Unmarried spouses No Relation Another Relation Unknown Two men Total Two women Married spouses Unmarried spouses No Relation Another Relation Unknown Two women Total Extremely unlikely Hardly imaginable Possibly gay Very probably gay 30 1 4 35 18 1 1 2 16 38 7 3 2 6 1 3 15 1 6 10 17 2 6 5 4 17 42 8 11 2 13 76 20 11 6 3 34 74 N

2 9 1 2 2 4 9

2 3 1 4 10

EXAMPLES

Gay profiles:
Case 67,635 Head of household: male, married, Born in South Africa 1945, immigrated 1971; 16 years of schooling, a steward. Spouse: married, born in Israel in 1946, parents from Eastern Europe, a lawyer in a commercial bank, with a BA degree. Both married once in 1979. This case is similar to the above but married at the age of 33 and 34. Personal knowledge: this is a known gay activist. Case 22,281 Head of household: male, single, born 1951 in Israel, Parents born in Poland and the Soviet Union, BA degree, an employer in a small business (3-9 workers) in a clothing retail or import business, income of 16,100 INS. Spouse: male, single, born in 1957 in Israel, American-born father and Israeli-born mother, also an employer in a small business (3-9 workers) in a clothing retail or import business, but much lower income of 4,0100 INS Both work 60 hours a week. Case 330112 Head of household: Male, 48, single, born in Poland, in Israel since 1986, worked 50 hours as a tourist guide, 3,680 INS. No Relation: Male, 37, divorced, married in 1983, born in Argentina, came in 1971, worked 48 hours as a buyer in branch 945, 3453 INS They live in a small town since 1987, in a rented 2-room apartment. Case 94904 Head of households: female, 36, single, Born in Israel, Israeli-born father and Hungarian-born mother, has a Ph.D., works 50 hours in management , 5,000 INS. Spouse: female, 42, divorced, born in Israel, both parents are from Hungaria; has 14 years schooling; married in 1974; two kids. They both live in Tel Aviv since 1993 in a privately-owned 2.5-room apartment.

Case 211286 Head of household: female, 55, single, emigrated from Romania in 1950, 10 years schooling, works 47 hours a week as a supervising clerk and earns 4,5000 INS. Unknown: female, 52, emigrated from Bulgaria in 1949, 12 years schooling, works 47 hours as a secretary; 5, 000 INS. They live in a middle-sized town near Tel Aviv in a privately owned 4-room apartment. Case 166809 Head of household: female, 44, single, born in Israel, Israeli-born father and mother from Poland, 12 years in school, works but no data on her work. No relation: female, 43, single, Israeli-born from Romanian origin, 11 years in school. They live in Tel Aviv in 2-room apartment; protected rent. Case 136503 Head of household: female, divorced, 44, born in Israel, Romanian parents, 14 years in school, no information on marriage and children, works but no details. Unknown I: female, 52, married, born in Israel, Israeli-born parents, works, but no information on work; neither on marriage and children. Unknown II: male, 15, born in Israel, Iraqi-born mother and Israeli-born father. They live in a big city near Tel Aviv in 2.5-room apartment.

Wrong coding of sex:

Case No. 15962: The head of the household: male, married, 56, born 1939, immigrated to Israel from Romania 1947, a self-employed taxi-driver. The spouse: male, married, 50, born 1944, immigrated to Israel from Romania 1959, worked 8 hours in the last week before the census. Both married once, in 1962.

Case 183292 Head of household: female, 55, 2 children, 8 years of schooling. Spouse: female, 63, number of children unknown, 6 years of schooling. Both are married, they married once in 1963, and emigrated from Iran 1965; both are unemployed. Case 7874 Head of household: male, 72, married Spouse: female, 64, married. Both emigrated from Egypt in 1957 and had married once in 1947. Unknown: female, 46, single, also emigrated from Egypt in 1957. Case 64938 Head of household: male, 59, born in Israel, Moroccan origin, 14 years schooling, no information on employment. Spouse: male, 55, came from Morocco in 1960, 14 years schooling, no information on employment. Daughter: female, 30, single. Daughter: female, 20, single. They live in Jerusalem in a 4-room apartment

Other cases:
Case 16578 Head of household: female, 68, widow. Unknown: female, 63. They both have 4 years of schooling, they came from Yemen in 1949, they do not work, and they provided no information on marriage and children. Case 25563 Head of household: female, 55, single, secretary in building material industry. Unknown: female, 52, single, a secretary in an insurance firm. Both were born in Israel to an Egyptian-born mother and Yemenite-born father.

Case 26042 Head of household: female, 65, single, emigrated from the Ukraine in 1966, 16 years schooling. Unknown: female, single, Israeli-born from Moroccan origin, 10 years schooling. Both work but no information on employment. They live in Jerusalem in 2.5-room apartment. Case 227201 Head of household: male, 39, married but no details on marriage, Israeli-born from a Polish-Austrian origin, 12 years in school, works but no information on his job. Unknown: male, 59, single, came in 1949 from Turkey, 14 years in school, works but no information on his job. Both live in a mid-size city near Tel Aviv in a 4-room apartment. Case 343544 Head of household: male, 62, single, Iraqi-born who arrived at Israel in 1952, 12 years in school, does not work. Unknown: male, 51, divorced, came in 1952 from Iraq, 12 years in school, married once in 1981, works 48 hours as a manager in the entertainment industry, 2,400 INS. Both live in a big city near Tel Aviv in a privately owned 4-room apartment. Case 329024: Head of household: male, 44, divorced, Israeli-born from Iraqi origin, married in 1991, worked 45 hours as a dyer in the furniture industry and earned 7,500 INS. No family relation: male, 47, single, born in Morocco and came to Israel in 1961, worked 40 hours as a self-employed in textile retailing, no information on income. Both live in a big city near Tel Aviv since 1993, 2 years after the younger man got divorced.

Two adult women in a three-persons households We analyzed a sample of 39 cases out of 70 households. Among these 39 cases six could be of Lesbian couples, but none looked liked a stereotyped Lesbian couple. Among the rest, there were again many cases of sex-coding errors. There were also many cases of family members who live together. We have not analyzed yet the cases of 4-persons households with two women. Case 45487 Head of household: female, 61, widow, Israeli-born from a Russian origin, not working. Daughter: female, 22, single, born in Israel, German-born father and Israeli-born mother, works 40 hours as guard, 3000 INS. Unknown: female, 47, married, born in Israel, father from Poland, mother from Austria; not working. They all live in Tel Aviv in 2.5-room apartment. Case 94904 Head of households: female, 36, single, Born in Israel, Israeli-born father and Hungarian-born mother, has a Ph.D., works 50 hours in management, 5,000 INS. Spouse: female, 42, divorced, born in Israel, both parents are from Hungary; has 14 years schooling; married in 1974; two kids. They both live in Tel Aviv since 1993 in a privately-owned 2.5-room apartment. Two adult men in a three-persons households We analyzed the first 12 cases out of 65; only two cases could be of gays but only if we stretch our imagination; e.g., Case 87343 Head of household: male, 89, widowed, Iranian-born who arrived at Israel in 1923, 13 years in school, does not work. Unknown I: male, 55, single, Israeli-born of Iranian origin, BA degree; no work. Unknown II: male, single, 39, at least third generation Israeli, 8 years in school; no work. All live in Jerusalem in a 3-room apartment.

Two adult men in a four-persons households 65 cases; we analyzed the first 16. Only one case might involve gays but this is extremely unlikely: Case 95241 Head of household: male, 72, married, born in Poland, in Israel since 1949. Unknown I: female, 72, married, born in Czechoslovakia, in Israel since 1949. Unknown II: male, 49, single, born in Czechoslovakia, in Israel since 1949 Unknown III: male, 37, single, Israeli-born of Yemenite origin, The first three have 8 years of schooling; the last one has 12 years; they all live in Jerusalem in a 3-room apartment.

Conclusions
Most LG couples hide their cohabiting? Only 27 cases could easily be LG (but not sure) and 32 who might be so; if we multiply by 5, we reach a maximum estimation of 295 [(27+32) X 5] couples only. Is it a realistic estimation of LG couples that live in the same household without children (and both are above 35)? Households with two persons of the same sex are not a good estimation of LG couples. About 60% of the cases do not look like LG couples at all. If immigrants and Palestinians were included, the percentage of real

LG couples would have been much lower. Serious identification problems. o It is very hard to distinguish between unmarried hetero couples and LG couples due to mistakes in sex coding (a very small fraction of cases is enough to substantially distort our sample of LG couples). o It is hard to distinguish between LG couples and mere roommates. The LG continuum: being roommates due to emotional attraction?

The questionnaires are based on straight assumptions. o Questions on marriage (not on partners, beginning of cohabiting, etc.). o No attempt to identify non-family members who live in the household. o Only women are asked about children. o New family structures and patterns require more sophisticated surveys. o Sex is, of course, treated as a dichotomous variable. How possibly LG couples presented themselves? Many chose the category of spouse. A few, all men, also claimed to be married. Among men, many who argued that they were not related are also suspected as gay (but might be roommates).

Among women, many who are suspected as Lesbian did not select any relationship.

 Numerous Mistakes o The attempts to correct inconsistent data may further distort them. Ethical issues o Our ability to identify a specific case is disturbing. o What we did, others could do as well, including the government and private companies.

What Next?
Interviews with LG couples who lived together in 1995, asking also how they respond to other surveys and what they do when they fill in official forms (insurance, healthrelated etc.). Interviews with people who work in the Central Bureau of Statistics to study how they mend the data after their collection. Interviews with people who worked in the Census to find out what happens in real life? Expanding the analysis to people 25 year-old and older. Comparison to households with one single person???