The U.S. Census Bureau announced Thursday that its Household Pulse Survey is now asking respondents their sexual orientation and gender identity in addition to their sex. The questions are part of Phase 3.2 of the survey, the latest update to an experimental data collection effort to measure the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on American households, a Census Bureau blog post explains. This marks the first time the bureau has asked these questions, although the Census has counted same-sex households. The bureau considered adding queries about sexual orientation and gender identity a few years ago, but ultimately did not do so. LGBTQ+ activists have long been advocating for inclusion of such questions. Distribution of the questionnaires began July 21 and is expected to continue through October 11. Some results will be released next week, however, according to the blog post.