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data since the 1980s. The data are generallyderived from relatively small sample sizes, whichmakes generating accurate findings problematic.Many LGBTQ policymakers were particularlyoptimistic following the decennial 1990 census,when more than 100,000 same-sex (male-maleand female-female) households checked the“unmarried and/or married partners” optionto describe their household relationship. Sincethen, scholars and policymakers have reliedheavily on census data to count, map anddescribe the LGBTQ community over the pasttwo decades.While the availability of census data hasundoubtedly improved the visibility of manyLGBTQ individuals, it continues to overlookmany LGBTQ people, including single individuals,homeless, adults living with children and manyothers. It also does not account for the factorsthat contribute to how people identify. Forexample, the likelihood of identifying as a samesexpartner is strongly linked to educationalattainment, income and geographic residence.This means that the data fail to include thefull race/ethnic, socioeconomic class andgeographic diversity of the LGBTQ community,and exclude individuals and couples in the“closet.” African Americans for example, accountfor roughly 7 percent of same-sex couples in2013, but compose more than 13 percent of thenation’s total population, according to AmericanCommunity Survey 2013.These limitations, among others, underscorethe shortcomings of these data. Given thatmany Black LGBTQ Oregonians are excludedfrom and/or are underrepresented in thesedata, we avoid reporting it altogether. In orderto acknowledge the greater diversity amongBlack LGBTQ Oregonians, we must invest insolutions that remedy these challenges of datacollection. (Research contributed by JasonJurjevich, Ph.D at Population Research Center,Portland State University).87