In January, the Biden-Harris administration rolled out its Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity, which directed federal agencies to begin collecting sexual orientation and gender identity — or SOGI — data in census surveys and on federal forms like benefits applications.
The administration says this data’s being collected to “advance equity for LGBTQI+ Americans” by learning more about them, but this brings up questions about what state and local governments might do with that data if they get it.