Questions on sexuality and gender have been cut from the 2026 census. Why are LGBTQIA+ people saying it’s an omission?

It comes around every five years and gives the nation an idea of who we are — but next year, the census won’t ask about who we love or how we identify. The federal government’s decision to axe proposed questions that would — for the first time — give a number on how many LGBTQIA+ Australians there are has been met with condemnation. So what happened, and what does it mean?