Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement after the Committee voted favorably to approve the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act:
“We celebrate Pride Month both to recognize the adversity LGBTQI+ community has faced in our nation and to express our commitment to treating all people in the United States with equality and respect — regardless of who they love or how they identify. To commemorate Pride Month, Oversight Committee Democrats passed critical legislation to close longstanding gaps in the collection of data pertaining to our nation’s LBGTQI+ communities. By ensuring that many federal surveys, including the U.S. Census, collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act will provide the data policymakers need so the federal government can better serve every person it represents.”
Expanding Federal Data on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
The LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Raúl Grijalva, would require federal agencies that collect demographic survey data to assess methods for incorporating questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics into existing surveys. Under the LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act, responses to inquiries would be voluntary.
Chairwoman Maloney introduced an amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS) to the bill to update the name of the bill to LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act and expand its provisions to include intersex populations. The ANS includes intersex persons by requiring data collection for variations in sex characteristics, which means a physical trait present at birth or naturally occurring at a later time.
Specifically, the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act would:
- Require that data on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics be published with relevant agency data sets, while maintaining privacy and confidentiality standards;
- Address existing data gaps in national SOGI information which could expand needed funding and programmatic services for people who identify as LGBTQI+;
- Align and incorporate the definitions for sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics to match current standards;
Original source can be found here.
