The Trump Administration’s Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Community Living (ALC) has removed a question about sexual orientation from the National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants (NSOAAP), and now it plans on removing any questions about sexual orientation in the upcoming 2020 census.

The plan was to include a question on sexual orientation in an effort to understand the modern-day household. Advocates have been hoping that they question would be added in order to better understand and serve the LGBT community.

In releasing their proposed subjects for the 2020 census, The Census Bureau sent mixed messages. First, it said that “sexual orientation and gender identity” were to be added, but hours later an updated list deleted sexual orientation.

Despite being asked by members of congress to include such questions, the Trump administration said that there was no “federal need” for the information.

“The Subjects Planned for the 2020 Census and American Community Survey report released today inadvertently listed sexual orientation and gender identity as a proposed topic in the appendix. This topic is not being proposed to Congress for the 2020 Census or American Community Survey,” the bureau said in a statement.

The 2010 survey also didn’t include sexual orientation, though many gay couples worked around the numbers by listing that they were partnered. [WashingtonTimes]