Chances are you’ve already received a letter from the government by now stressing the importance of the 2010 Census form. But if you and your significant other fall into a particular category, this message could carry particular significance.

In the video above, Star Trek star George Takei and husband Brad Altman explain why same-sex couples should take time to fill out that questionnaire.

“This is the first time in history the census is counting marriages like ours. It doesn’t matter whether you have a legal marriage license or not. It only matters whether you considered yourself married. That’s what the census is asking for: for people to identify how they view themselves,” Takei states.

“So fill out the census, and let’s show America how many of us are joined in beautiful loving marriages,” Altman adds.