If They Don't Count Us, We Don't Count: Trump Administration Rolls Back Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Recent years have seen a significant expansion of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection in surveys and clinical settings.
• The Trump Administration's actions have raised concerns about the future of this data collection.
• SOGI data is crucial for understanding the health and social service needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of SOGI data collection in national surveys.
• To express concerns regarding the potential threat to SOGI data expansion.
• To underscore the necessity of SOGI data for assessing LGBT health and service access.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of recent policy changes regarding SOGI data collection on national surveys.
• Review of the implications of removing SOGI questions from aging and disability surveys.
• Examination of the role of SOGI data in understanding health disparities and service access for LGBT populations.

Main Results:

• Sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) questions were removed from a national aging survey.
• A planned sexual orientation category and transgender identity field were not added to a national disability survey.
• These actions signal a potential threat to the ongoing expansion of SOGI data collection.

Conclusions:

• The removal of SOGI data collection jeopardizes efforts to understand and address the needs of LGBT individuals.
• Continued SOGI data collection is essential for monitoring LGBT health outcomes and ensuring equitable access to critical social services.
• Policy decisions impacting SOGI data collection have significant implications for public health and social equity research.