Australia’s 2026 census will ask about gender and sexual orientation for the first time. Although voluntary, the questions are intended to help fill LGBTQ+ community data gap. This official data is vital to accurately fund health, aged care, and support services for marginalized queer populations.
The addition of these voluntary questions is generally welcomed by the LGBTQ+ community in Australia. However, there are still concerns regarding the addition. Advocates note frustration that intersex people are still left out. Some critics are concerned that, because answering is optional and privacy within households can be a barrier, a portion of the population might still select “prefer not to answer” out of safety or a lack of self-certainty.
Hopefully the data will be used to accurately fund support for the LGBTQ+ community as stated, and not end up being used target the community instead if the Australian government moves toward the far right.
