One of the results of the 2010 census is likely to be a clearer idea of how many people are living as married couples in same-sex relationships.

In its permissive way, the Census Bureau is allowing such couples to consider themselves married, even in states like Maine, where a referendum last year narrowly defined marriage as a partnership of a man and a woman. Taking a libertarian view of the question, the census leaves the definition of marriage up to the individual filling out the form.

The bureau has hired field workers and prepared public service videos to reach out to gays and lesbians. A spokesman said same-sex couples in any state who consider themselves married should fill out their forms that way.

The editorial point of view here has been that civil marriage, and its rights and responsibilities, should be available without regard to sexual orientation. Naturally we believe the census should also be non-discriminatory.

Some opponents of same-sex marriage have complained that this empirical approach will cloud the clear lines they have tried to stake out in the debate. Commentators are also concerned that such permissiveness will inflate the number of claimed same-sex marriages.

It’s a controversial issue, so perhaps some in casual gay relationships will indeed make purely political claims of wedlock. On the other hand, the census allows respondents to establish their own claims to race, ethnicity, income and home ownership. Such unverified responses by millions of individuals will once again create our national portrait.

Perhaps all sides can agree that the results on the marriage section will be interesting, no matter how the numbers turn out. Certainly future debates on same-sex marriage in Maine and elsewhere will be more well informed ”“ at least as far as the numbers are concerned.

If it turns out that same-sex marriage is more prevalent than supposed, it is quite possible that support for making it legal will grow. Discovering that significant numbers of fellow-citizens are facing discrimination may encourage broader support for equality in civil marriage.

Such speculation aside, partisans from all points on the political spectrum are urging citizens to participate in the census because of its many civic implications. People have until mid-April to return the forms.

“It’s not too late. Please answer the 10 easy questions,” urged Fox News analyst Karl Rove in an advertisement. Making the same case to another constituency, Dorothy Height, a 98-year-old former civil rights activist advised: “You have the right to be counted.”

— Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.