Issue
An executive order from President Biden charged the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and other agencies with identifying effective methods for assessing whether agency policies and actions equitably serve all eligible individuals and communities, particularly those that have been historically underserved.
Impact
There are nearly 13 million LGBT people ages 13 and older in the U.S. LGBT people consistently report economic, health, and other disparities when compared to their cisgender, heterosexual peers, and they experience persistent and pervasive stigma and discrimination in all areas of life. However, federal collections of data often fail to collect information on sexual orientation and gender identity and on the specific experiences of LGBT people.
Summary
Williams Institute scholars recommend that agencies add measures for sexual orientation and gender identity to federally managed surveys and data collection efforts. Increased data collection on LGBT people from federal surveys will help fill gaps in knowledge and may advance equity for LGBT populations nationwide.