Launch of Sexual Orientation Research Web Site

WASHINGTON () -- Very little is known about the challenges and successes of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) because the main sources of data about people living in the United States, U.S. Federal Agencies in particular, do not collect data on sexual orientation. One of the greatest threats to the health and well-being of LGBT people is this lack of scientific investigation. The new website GayData.org addresses this concern by acting as a central repository for LGBT scientific information produced using large probability surveys. The website catalogs datasets that have collected sexual orientation data and links to findings from those datasets. It also encourages further analysis of these datasets while providing technical assistance for collecting additional sexual orientation data. 

The federal government, and in particular, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must recognize the serious gaps in their information systems and databases regarding sexual orientation data. In the absence of high quality data from probability samples, scholars, policymakers, and the general public run the risk of falling back on stereotypes and myths about lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. Important federal surveys that do not adequately collect sexual orientation and/or gender identity data include: The United States Census, The National Health Interview Survey, The American Community Survey, and the National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 

“With the help of GayData.org, we urge action from survey administrators in both the private and public sectors, including federal statistical agencies, to include sexual orientation questions where relevant,” commented Eldie Acheson, Director of the Department of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “Steps can be taken to include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity on surveys not only in the realm of HIV or other sexually transmitted infections – where it is already understood to be relevant – but in connection with the full range issues impacting our communities.”

“LGBT Americans, in addition to having the same basic health needs as the general population, have increased health disparities because of continuing discrimination and ignorance related to sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Henia Handler, Co-Chair of the National Coalition for LGBT Health. “Current research and other science-based reports clearly indicate the need to incorporate sexual orientation as a health indicator in the work of the Department of Health and Human Services by adding valuable questions on sexual orientation and gender identity in various national health surveys.” 

“I’m excited to be able to provide a science-based tool for policy makers, government researchers, and community organizations that want to obtain accurate information about lesbians, gays and bisexuals,” said Dr. Randall Sell, Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. “Much of our current knowledge about the health, economic, educational, and social status of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people in the United States comes from small-scale surveys that are very limited. It's just not clear how well they represent the whole LGBT population. By collecting sexual orientation data in federal and state surveys we will be able to develop informed and intelligent public policies that address important outcomes affecting Americans whose lives are often neglected.”