Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House of Representatives took the historic step of passing the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, which directs federal agencies to collect voluntary, self-disclosed demographic data on sexual orientation, gender identity, and intersex traits while maintaining necessary privacy and confidentiality standards. In response, Nicole Lee Ndumele, senior vice president for Rights and Justice at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
As a country, we measure what we value. By passing the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act, the House has demonstrated its commitment to bringing greater visibility to the experiences and diversity of LGBTQI+ communities. CAP has long pushed for comprehensive, LGBTQI+-inclusive data collection, which will help researchers, policymakers, service providers, and advocates better understand the needs of this growing segment of the U.S. population; identify disparate outcomes; and craft responsive policy solutions that address systemic issues and discriminatory practices. For example, after the U.S. Census Bureau added questions on sexual orientation and gender identity to its Household Pulse Survey in July 2021, CAP found that LGBTQI+ individuals, and in particular transgender people, face greater difficulty achieving economic security and experience labor market disparities.
Amid an onslaught of state legislative attacks against LGBTQI+ communities, these data will equip policymakers with the information they need to push back on these harmful bills and advocate for greater equity and nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQI+ individuals, such as those included in the Equality Act. We applaud Reps. Raul Grijalva, Carolyn Maloney, and Katie Porter for championing the LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act and House leadership for bringing this important bill to the floor. Now, we urge the Senate to swiftly pass this historic legislation.
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