Congressional Equality Caucus Commends Biden-Harris Administration Action to Improve LGBTQI+ Data Collection
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Congressional Equality Caucus released the following statement in response to the Biden-Harris Administration releasing a Federal Evidence Agenda on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Equity. This agenda, the first of its kind, provides a roadmap for federal agencies to ensure they are collecting data on the lives and experiences of LGBTQI+ people.
"The best policies are informed by great data, yet too many federal surveys do not collect data on the experiences of the LGBTQI+ community," said Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. "The Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity provides an important roadmap for how to address these data gaps. I thank the Biden-Harris Administration for taking this important step and urge federal agencies to expeditiously take actions to follow this roadmap and ensure they are collecting data on the LGBTQI+ community."
The Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity was released earlier today by the Federal Interagency Working Group on Equitable Data Subcommittee on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Variations in Sex Characteristics Data, which is led by experts in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the White House Office of Management and Budget. This Subcommittee was established by President Biden's June 2022 Executive Order on Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Individuals.
Ensuring LGBTQI+-inclusive data collection has been a priority for the Congressional Equality Caucus. In the 117th Congress, the House of Representatives passed the Equality Caucus-endorsed LGBTQI+ Data Inclusion Act. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-07), requires federal surveys to collect voluntary information on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics.
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Founded in 2008, the mission of the Congressional Equality Caucus is to promote equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or sex characteristics. The Caucus is strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBTQI+ people in the U.S. and around the world