Data Equity and Inclusion
In This Moment, It’s Crucial That States Protect LGBTQ+ Data
High-quality data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) can be a powerful tool for helping governments better understand the needs and experiences of the LGBTQ+ communities they serve. When collected, stored, and used responsibly, these data can support evidence-based policymaking, guide resource allocation, strengthen program accountability, and improve civil rights enforcement.
Yet the ability to realize these benefits is increasingly under threat. First, over the past year and a half the Trump administration has systematically dismantled federal SOGI data collection and its supporting infrastructure. More than 360 federally supported data collections have been impacted by recent policy changes, alongside shrinking budgets, staff reductions, and the elimination of agency guidance that helps ensure scientific integrity.
Second, there is increased risk of and concern about public agencies violating privacy safeguards and misusing data for purposes far removed from why they were originally collected. DOGE has accessed sensitive personal information for unauthorized purposes and state-level data have been misused to target immigrant and transgender populations.
A nationally representative survey of LGBTQ people conducted by MAP and NORC in 2025 found that large majorities of LGBTQ people were concerned that sexual orientation data (88%) and gender identity data (68%) could be used to deny them government services or benefits. Distrust and uncertainty about how personal information will be used leads to declines in participation, which weakens the quality of data and the ability of governments to understand and respond to community needs.
As federal data collection on LGBTQ+ people is scaled back, states and localities are increasingly being called on to fill widening gaps in research and data on LGBTQ+ communities. At the same time, growing risks of misuse make it more important than ever that states collect, use, and protect sensitive information responsibly. This is why meaningful community engagement, robust protections, and strong SOGI data governance frameworks are so urgently needed.
Good data governance helps ensure that sensitive personal information is collected, used, and protected in ways that uphold privacy, confidentiality, and public trust while also preserving the utility of public data systems. Put simply, responsible SOGI data governance makes it possible to collect the data needed to advance equity while protecting people from harm.
That is the central focus of MAP’s new report, developed in partnership with the Center for Democracy and Technology and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy, which offers a roadmap for state and local governments. Concretely, the report provides recommendations for how states committed to ethical data use to advance LGBTQ+ equity can support LGBTQ-inclusive surveys and needs assessments, as well as legislative and administrative strategies to strengthen SOGI data governance.
On June 25, MAP’s Senior Advisor for Data Policy and Strategy, Caroline Medina, joined collaborators from Center for Democracy & Technology and Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy, along with Priya Nair, for a webinar discussing the report, its recommendations, and the shifting SOGI data policy landscape. The conversation underscored both the urgency of strengthening data governance and the opportunities for states to lead in building more ethical and resilient data systems. Priya Nair, newly appointed Executive Director of the NYC Commission on Gender Equity and former Deputy Chief Diversity Officer for New York Governor Kathy Hochul, offered the following reflection on what responsible data stewardship requires in practice.
“Responsible and affirming SOGI data collection can be an important tool for policymakers and communities to use to advance equity. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to SOGI data collection. This report provides concrete recommendations to help states weigh the benefits and risks of SOGI data collection and to develop tailored strategies that work for their specific contexts.”
Read the full report or view our recent webinar below to learn more about how to put these state-level strategies into action.
