Asking the Right Questions: Making the Case for Sexual Orientation Data

Currently, very little information is collected on sexual orientation in the nationally representative surveys that guide much of the investigation of social, economic, and health policy. Asking questions on sexual orientation will help to fulfill the mission of such surveys to measure outcomes both for the population as a whole and population sub-groups where a policy role is evident. In many cases, the stated purposes and current uses of survey data may even be seen to require the collection of personal characteristics such as sexual orientation. This paper will first outline the particular areas of research and policymaking that are at stake: families, social service provision, health services, economic development, employment, youth, and business decisions. It will give extended examples of the use of data on sexual orientation in family policymaking and in policies related to youth and education. Finally, the paper will outline the other areas where data collection issues on sexual orientation are most pressing