The Federal Government recently issued two public invitations for scholars to share their input on (1) building a Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity; and (2) revising the OMB (Office of Management and Budget)  statistical standards for collecting race and ethnicity data.

First, President Biden has established a new Subcommittee on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Variations in Sex Characteristics (SOGI) Data through the historic Executive Order on Advancing Equality for LGBTQI+ Individuals. Meghan Maury, OSTP Senior Policy Advisor for Data Science, and a longtime advocate for LGBTQI+ equity, will co-chair the working group.

As Maury articulates in their recent blog, the new SOGI Data Working Group will develop a first-of-its-kind Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity, which will serve as a roadmap for the federal government to strengthen SOGI data practices. They will also coordinate with agencies as they produce SOGI Data Action Plans to identify where and how they will improve the collection of data on LGBTQI+ people and communities while safeguarding individual privacy.

The committee invites the input of social scientists so that the Federal Evidence Agenda best reflects the needs of the community.  If you would like to contribute to the conversation, please share your thoughts in response to this Request for Information, or through one of the working group’s upcoming listening sessions (more info to come). This is an historic opportunity to ensure that LGBTQI+ people are truly counted – that federal data reflect their lived experience – to advance more equitable policymaking for generations to come.

Second, the OMB is launching new public listening sessions on Federal Race and Ethnicity Standards Revision. In her recent blog, Dr. Karin Orvis, Chief Statistician of the United States, announced that the first step in the formal review process for OMB’s statistical standards for collecting race and ethnicity data is well underway – and the public can now share their perspectives and input.

Topics under consideration include:

• Whether the minimum reporting categories should be changed and how to best address detailed race and ethnicity groups in the Standards;
• Whether updates should be made to the question format, terminology, and wording of the questions, as well as the instructions for respondents and associated guidance; and
• Whether guidance for the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity data can be improved, including in instances when self-identification is not possible.

A Working Group, established through OMB, will solicit public input on its recommended proposal for revisions to Directive No. 15 through a Federal Register Notice. If you’d like to be notified when the Federal Register Notice is published, please send a request to join their mailing list to Statistical_Directives@omb.eop.gov.

The Working Group will hold virtual, bi-monthly listening sessions to hear directly from members of the public. These listening sessions will begin starting Thursday, September 15, 2022. To schedule a listening session, please send a brief email expressing interest to Statistical_Directives@omb.eop.gov.

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