RECOMMENDATION 20240311-005 COLLECTION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY DATA — original pdf

Recommendation

LGBTQ QUALITY OF LIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20240311-5 COLLECTION OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY DATA WHEREAS Accurate data collection of marginalized communities provides the City of Austin with the information needed to adequately support and serve each community. Because there is no national collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data, the City of Austin must begin collecting that data from City employees and community members accessing City services. WHEREAS the City of Austin conducted an LGBTQ+ Quality of Life survey, with a report given on October 11, 2021, providing several recommendations on how to improve the quality of life for the LGBTQ+ community in Austin, TX; and, WHEREAS, a key recommendation from the Quality of Life survey is to “enhance sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection efforts”; and, WHEREAS, even before the QOL survey, on February 11, 2019, the LGBTQ QOL Commission passed a recommendation that supported the full inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data collection within the City of Austin; and, WHEREAS, on October 21, 2021, Austin City Council formally condemned non- consensual and medically unnecessary surgeries on intersex children and directed the City Manager to explore methods to implement a public education campaign to provide accurate, affirming information to the doctors and parents of intersex children about these children’s health, to counter misinformation that can be presented as medical advice, therefore providing an important reason to collect data regarding the intersex population in the city as well (SOGI+); and, WHEREAS, in March 2016, the Health Resources Services Administration(HRSA) added SO/GI data as required elements to be reported yearly in the Uniform Data System (UDS), beginning in Calendar Year 2016. The Program Assistance Letter (PAL 2016-2) states that “sexual orientation and gender identity (SO/GI) can play a significant role in determining health outcomes,” and that “gaining a better understanding of populations served by health Page 1 of 3  centers, including sexual orientation and gender identity, promotes culturally competent care delivery, and contributes to reducing health disparities overall.”; and, WHEREAS, in February 2020, the Central Health Equity Policy Council adopted a policy initiative to move to expand SOGI data gathering as part of a push to adopt HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index, which is the national LGBTQ benchmarking tool that evaluates healthcare facilities' policies and practices related to the equity and inclusion of their LGBTQ patients, visitors, and employees; and, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN that the City Council directs the City Manager to work with the LGBTQ+ Quality of Life Advisory Commission, the Stonewall Equality Employee Network, and other internal and external stakeholders to implement the collection of SOGI and Intersex (SOGI+) data through all internal and external city forms and processes, including using the appropriate language for asking SOGI+ questions in data collection as previously defined by the Equity Office in their Equity Assessment Tool 2019 Draft Appendix Additions “Promising Practices: Data Collection About Gender & Sexuality” and report back to the City Council by December 31, 2024. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Manager is directed to create an inventory of all internal and external forms and processes that currently collect demographic data of employees and residents, including any relevant software update schedules, and a timeline for implementing SOGI+ data collection updates, and report back to the City Council by May 31, 2024. Page 2 of 3  Date of Approval: March 11, 2024 Record of the Vote: Adopted without objection on a 12-0 vote. VOTE Present: Jerome Benson (Jerry Joe) John Scott Neal ● Christian Aguirre ● ● ● Gary Brown ● Brandon Wollerson ● Charles Curry • Mariana Krueger (virtual) • Yuri G Barragán (virtual) ● Alexander Andersen • Melissa Taylor • Morgan Davis (virtual) • David Garza Attest: Alyssa Parra staff Liaison Page 3 of 3