CLEAR Calls on U.S. Department of Commerce to Include Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity in Household Pulse Survey

Yesterday, the Center for LGBTQ Economic Advancement & Research submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding proposed revisions to the Household Pulse Survey. In those comments, CLEAR called on the Agency to include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity in the Pulse Survey, and other COVID-19 data collections, to improve information, data-driven policy, and wellbeing for LGBTQ adults, families, and communities.

The Pulse Survey collects data about the health and economic wellbeing of U.S. households amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the survey is used by states and the federal government to inform pandemic response and relief strategies. Although the Household Pulse Survey currently collects demographic data about race, sex, and national origin, it does not currently ask respondents about their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Our comments explain that LGBTQ people lived with health and economic disparities before March 2020, making them more vulnerable to health and financial issues during the pandemic. Also available data from private and nonprofit surveys show LGBTQ people are suffering greater impacts to their health and economic wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Which is why adding sexual orientation and gender identity measures would enhance federal data collection, improve data-informed pandemic response and relief efforts, and help reduce health and economic disparities for LGBTQ communities.

Read the full comment letter to see CLEAR’s full comments to the Agency.