Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to reintroduce and pass, and for the President to sign the LGBT Data Inclusion Act

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Res. No. 334 ..Title Resolution calling upon the United States Congress to reintroduce and pass, and for the President to sign the LGBT Data Inclusion Act ..Body By Council Members Dromm, Koslowitz and Cornegy Whereas, The 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey of 6,450 transgender and gender non-conforming people showed that transgender people experience unemployment, homelessness, harassment and barriers to health care related to their transgender identities at much higher rates than the general population; and Whereas, 41 percent of respondents to the 2011 National Transgender Discrimination Survey reported having attempted suicide; and Whereas, In a 2009 Lambda Legal survey of 4,916 people nationwide, 55 percent of lesbian, gay or bisexual respondents and 70 percent of transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents reported experiencing discrimination in medical care, ranging from refusal of medical services to harassment or physical abuse; and Whereas, A 2016 study by the UCLA School of Law's Williams Institute found that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults experience food insecurity at nearly double the rate of non-LGBT adults; and Whereas, The targeting of policy decisions and the allocation of public services necessary to address these problems rely on accurate demographic data; and Whereas, According to the Williams Institute, demographic data regarding sexual orientation and gender identity is not currently collected as part of any federal population survey; and Whereas, In recent years, academic institutions and polling organizations have reached different conclusions when attempting to estimate the percent of U.S. adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender; and Whereas, In recognition of these facts, in October 2016 the City enacted Local Law 128, requiring city agencies that collect demographic data in connection with the provision of social services include in their demographic data collection the option to anonymously and voluntarily complete a survey regarding sexual orientation and gender identity; and Whereas, In May 2016, Representative Ra�l Grijalva of Arizona introduced the LGBT Data Inclusion Act, H.R. 5373, and in July 2016 Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin introduced companion bill S. 3134, both of which would have required federal population surveys to collect confidential, "voluntary, self-disclosed information on sexual orientation and gender identity"; and Whereas, No further action was taken on either bill and, to date, neither has been reintroduced; and Whereas, Federal population surveys are more comprehensive in scope than any survey the City is able to provide; and Whereas, The LGBT Data Inclusion Act therefore would have furthered the City's intent in enacting Local Law 128 of gathering accurate demographic data and improving the City's delivery of services to residents; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to reintroduce and pass, and for the President to sign, the LGBT Data Inclusion Act. LS #3776 HB-PLS 1/12/18 2

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