The country’s census collection is officially underway, having started on 1 November. The National Bureau of Statistics informed Reuters that any additional information that didn’t conform to the census’s pre-existing categories or typical responses for “relationship to head of household” category would not be formally recorded.
In retaliation to the pre-existing categories on the census, same-sex couples are protesting online and are urging other LGBTQ+ partners living together to tell census takers: “They are not my roommate, they are my partner.” Peng Yanzi is the director of LGBTQ+ Rights Advocacy China and is the NGO behind the campaign.