Married same-sex couples will now be counted in the 2010 U.S. Census.

The White House announced Friday that its interpretation of DOMA or the Defense of Marriage Act doesn't prohibit gathering this information.   

Gay activists say this is another step in equality, but critics contend it will be a complicated task to obtain a reliable count.

It is estimated that nearly 35,000 gay couples are legally married, but research shows that nearly ten times that number of couples may already claim they are married.