The Williams Institute is not an advocacy organization, but we do advocate for one thing: creating more reliable data about LGBTQI+ people. In fact, our entire mission is premised on having reliable data to ensure that law and policy reflect the lived experiences of LGBTQI+ people.
Central to that goal is achieving full data equality on federal surveys. The federal government spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year on surveys that document demographic characteristics, poverty, employment, housing, health care, and food insecurity. It is hard to create policies that address the needs of LGBTQI+ people if they aren’t included in federal surveys.
Frankly, this was quite a daunting goal to make central to our mission over two decades ago. At that time, no federal survey included questions about sexual orientation or gender identity. But over time dozens of federal surveys have added those questions, and this month, through the work of the Williams Institute and many others, full LGBTQI+ inclusion on federal surveys is now not only a goal shared by the White House but one actively being implemented by the Biden Administration.
This month, the Biden Administration released two reports that will expand LGBTQI+ data collection by federal agencies.
A subcommittee of the White House National Science and Technology Council released a comprehensive report this week establishing the Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity. The agenda serves as a roadmap for federal agencies to ensure that they are collecting the data and evidence they need to support the well-being of LGBTQI+ people. It follows a recent report released by the White House Office of Management and Budget that provides recommendations for best practices for LGBTQI+ data collection.
There has already been a revolution in the availability of data about LGBTQI+ people. We are now poised to close the remaining gaps in federal data collection.
While this month marks an incredible milestone, we know our work is far from done. We will continue to provide guidance and expertise as federal agencies implement these changes. We will continue to develop and advocate for measures that allow all parts of our communities to identify themselves, including young, old, gender non-binary, and intersex people. And we will use the data that is collected on federal surveys to conduct rigorous research that helps improve the lives of all LGBTQI+ people.
Please consider making a gift to help support our work. We couldn’t do it without you.
All the best,
Brad
The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law is an academic research institute dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.
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