COLLECTING SOGI DATA FOR THE 

FEDERAL WORKFORCE

Renee Ellis, Ph.D. (Pronouns: She/They)

Center for Behavioral Science Methods-Data Analytics Research U.S. Census Bureau

Christina Dragon, MSPH, CHES (she | her)

Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office NIH U.S

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Disclaimer: This presentation is released to inform interested parties of research and to 

encourage discussion. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily 

those of the U.S. Census Bureau, NIH, or Federal Government.
BACKGROUND

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EXECUTIVE ORDERS

• Executive Order 14035, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal 

Workforce

• Ensure existing employee support services equitably serve LGBTQI+ employees, including supportive 

services for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary employees who transition

• Foster an inclusive environment where all employees' gender identities are respected, such as by 

including non-binary gender marker and pronoun options in Federal hiring, employment, 

and benefits enrollment forms

• Update employee identification standards to include non-binary gender markers in 

• systems and profiles, and reduce administrative burden for transgender and non-binary 

employees to update gender markers and pronouns in employee systems and profiles

• Executive Order 14075, Advancing Equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, 

and Intersex Individuals

• Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity

• Agency SOGI Data Action Plans

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FEDERAL EVIDENCE AGENDA

Administrative Forms 

• Ensure relevant data are collected and 

privacy protections are properly applied

• Prevent adverse adjudication

• Make responses voluntary

• Rely on self-attestation

• Be consistent and intentional

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• Chapter 1: An Overview of LGBTQI+ Data Needs – This chapter provides an overview of the SOGI-related data needs throughout the Federal Government that, if addressed, could improve the 

Federal Government’s ability to make data-informed, evidence- based decisions to improve the health and well-being of LGBTQI+ individuals.

• Chapter 2: Learning Agenda to Advance LGBTQI+ Equity – This 

Learning Agenda identifies a series of overarching and illustrative 

questions that will guide the Federal Government’s efforts to 

understand, support, and improve the lives of LGBTQI+ 

individuals and families. 

• Chapter 3: Guidelines for Collecting SOGI Data 

on Federal Administrative Forms – This chapter identifies important guidelines for collecting 

SOGI data on Federal administrative forms, like 

applications for benefits and services. 
Persisting Personnel Disclosure Challenges

• Concern about how sexual orientation and gender identity data linked to a 

personnel file might be protected and used

• Fear of discrimination

• Specifically for GI, potential concern about a sex assigned at birth question like the 

one commonly included in a two-step gender identity question 

• The gap between what LGBTQI+ federal employees want to see as response 

options and what straight cisgender federal employees understand

• Impact of state level legislation on willingness to disclose

• State of residence impact on willingness to disclose

• Trusting OPM, human resources personnel, and employee records.

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CENTRAL QUESTIONS

• Are LGBTQI+ federal employees reluctant to share their sexual orientation and gender 

identity data in federal workforce data systems? Is there objection to the option being 

available even if they would not make changes?

• Does willingness to disclose, or support of having a voluntary option to disclose sexual 

orientation and gender identity change after prompting about current state level antiLGBTQI+ efforts?

• Is there a significant aversion to including a sex assigned at birth question for a two-step 

gender identity question that would replace binary sex categories?

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METHODS

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METHO DO LO G Y

• Convenience, opt-in sample gathered from anonymous respondents to a PFS listserve invitation to participate

• Survey was not split panel, we included two versions of Sexual Orientation questions 

and two versions of gender identity questions respondents were asked to answer 

and comment on preferences for questions

• We asked follow up questions about willingness to provide this information in a 

federal workforce data, willingness to allow others to ask questions, and impact of 

state level legislation on willingness to disclose information

• Collected some basic demographic categories. Did not collect any identifiable 

information

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• Pride in Federal Service is a cross-government 

employee organization

• PFS includes over 800 federal employee 

members, across all cabinet level Departments, 

distributed broadly across the states, territories, 

and overseas postings

• Most PFS members have an LGBTQI+ identity or 

are allies

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GENDER IDENTITY QUESTIONS

Question 1 A and B

• What is your current gender? (Check only one)

• Female

• Male 

• Transgender

• I use a different term (open text write-in)

• What sex were you assigned at birth, on your 

original birth certificate? (Check only one)

• Female 

• Male

Question 2 A and B

• What is your current gender identity?

• Female

• Male

• Non-Binary/third gender

• I use a different term (open text write-in)

• Are you transgender or of transgender 

experience?

• Yes

• No

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SEXUAL ORIENTATION QUESTIONS

Question 1 A and B

• Which of the following best represents how 

you think of yourself? (Check only one)

• Lesbian or gay

• Straight, that is not lesbian or gay

• Bisexual

• I use a different term (open text write-in) 

Question 2 a and B

• Which of the following best represents how 

you think of yourself? (Check only one)

• Straight

• Lesbian or gay

• Bisexual

• I use a different term (open text write-in)

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QUESTIONS ABOUT WILLINGNESS TO 

PROVIDE INFORMATION

Gender identity

• If your agency gave you the opportunity to update your gender 

identity information in the agency HR data system, what would 

you be likely to do?

• I would update this information

• I would not update this information because no updates are 

needed

• I would not update this information for other reasons

• I am not sure at this time

• Regardless of whether you would choose to update your own 

gender identity information in the HR data system if given the 

opportunity, would you object to your agency making this 

option available to employees?

• No I would not object

• Yes I would object

• I am not sure at this time

Sexual orientation

• If your agency gave you the opportunity to share your sexual 

orientation in the HR data system, via a standard form like the 

SF185 or SF 256, what would you be likely to do? 

• I would share this information

• I would not share this information

• I am not sure at this time

• Regardless of whether you would choose to share your own 

sexual orientation information in the HR data system if given the 

opportunity, would you object to your agency making this option 

available to employees?

• No I would not object

• Yes I would object

• I am not sure at this time

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SEXUAL ORIENTATION QUESTIONS

Are you concerned about the anti- LGBTQI+ state level legislation that 

some states have been proposing and 

passing? (Either specifically because 

you live in an affected state or in 

general)

• Yes, although me and my family are not 

affected directly at this time

• Yes, it affects me or my family directly

• no

Does the current state legislation 

influence your willingness to share 

your sexual orientation and/or gender 

identity in HR data systems?

• Yes

• No

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RESULTS

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SEXUAL ORIENTATION BY GENDER IDENTITY

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WILLINGNESS TO DISCLOSE GENDER 

IDENTITY BY SEXUAL ORIENTATION

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WILLINGNESS TO DISCLOSE SEXUAL 

ORIENTATION BY SEXUAL ORIENTATION

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N=101 No update needed Would update Would not update Not sure 

All 3% 52% 22% 23%

Transgender 12% 52% 14% 12%

Transgender/

nonbinary

64% 18% 18%

Nonbinary 48% 14% 38%

Other term 18% 45% 36%

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CONCERN ABOUT STATE LEGISLATION AND IMPACT ON 

DISCLOSURE BY GENDER MINORITY 

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ISSUES WITH QUESTIONS

• Re sp o nd e nts g e ne ra lly a nswe re d b o th ve rsio ns o f g e nd e r a nd se xua l 

o rie nta tio n q ue stio ns

• All m issing g e nd e r id e ntity q ue stio ns we re fro m g e nd e r m ino ritie s 

• No o ne wa s m issing b o th ve rsio ns o f G I o r SO ,g e nd e r id e ntity a nd se xua l 

o rie nta tio n c o uld b e d e te rm ine d fo r a ll re sp o nd e nts

• So m e G e nd e r m ino rity re sp o nd e nts g a ve fe e d b a c k a b o ut b e ing 

unc o m fo rta b le with the se x a t b irth q ue stio n b ut in g e ne ra l still a nswe re d

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GI 1a G1 1b GI 2a GI 2b So 1 SO 2

1 2 2 3 1 1
QUESTION PREFERENCE

Ge nd e r Id e ntity No p re fe re nc e Ge nd e r q ue stio n with 

se x a t b irth

Ge nd e r q ue stio n 

witho ut se x a t b irth

C is-g e nd e r 73% 7% 14%

Tra nsg e nd e r 42% 4% 54%

Tra nsg e nd e r/

No nb ina ry

27% 11% 61%

No n-b ina ry 19% 10% 71%

O the r te rm 66% 17% 17%

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USE A DIFFERENT TERM ANSWERS

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MOVING FORWARD

Conclusion

• LGBTQI+ federal employees are willing to share their 

sexual orientation and gender identity data in federal 

workforce data systems. Even if an individual does 

not plan to share their own information, they are 

highly supportive of others doing so.

• A majority of respondents were concerned about or 

are directly affected by state level anti-LGBTQI+ 

efforts, but that did not deter most from supporting 

the option for voluntary disclosure of sexual 

orientation and gender identity in work related 

human resources forms. SOGI data are important 

demographic data.

• Overall While most respondents answered the sex at 

birth version of the Gender Identity question, gender 

minority respondents preferred the question without 

sex at birth. 

Recommendations

• Supporting recommendations from the Federal 

Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity, collecting data 

on sexual orientation and gender identity are 

perceived as basic demographic data characteristics 

by LGBTQI+ Federal Workers and should be included 

along other demographic data in HR forms. 

• Attention will need to be given to the situations in 

geographic locations where there are legislative 

actions that directly contradict federal protections on 

the basis of sex, gender identity, and sexual 

orientation.

• Like all workers, federal workers want to know why 

their demographic information is being collected and 

be assured of their privacy.

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THANK YOU

RENEE.ELLIS@CENSUS.GOV

CHRISTINA.DRAGON@NIH.GOV

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