The U.S. Census Bureau announced plans to incorporate inquiries regarding sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as modifications to questions about race and ethnicity, in the American Community Survey by 2027. This initiative was discussed in a recent advisory committee meeting.
The updated or new questions are expected to appear on surveys distributed in the next three years, with data collection anticipated to begin the following year. The American Community Survey, which is the most extensive examination of American life, delves into various topics such as commuting times, internet access, family dynamics, income levels, educational attainment, disabilities, and military service, involving a sample of over 3.5 million households.
These revisions come after the federal government announced earlier this year significant changes to how individuals are categorized based on race and ethnicity—marking the first such update in 27 years. These changes aim to enhance the accuracy of counts for individuals identifying as Hispanic and from Middle Eastern and North African origins.
Under the new framework, inquiries about race and ethnicity that were previously posed separately will now be merged into one question, allowing respondents to select multiple identities simultaneously, such as “Black,” “American Indian,” and “Hispanic.” Additionally, a category specifically for Middle Eastern and North African identities will be included.
In August, the Census Bureau began testing new questions related to sexual orientation and gender identity through trial surveys distributed to several hundred thousand households. In-person interview testing is scheduled to begin in the spring, focusing on the impact of wording, answer options, and the accuracy of proxy responses related to household members aged 15 and older.
For the sexual orientation questions, respondents will have the option to write in an answer if the predefined categories—gay or lesbian, straight, or bisexual—do not apply to them. The gender identity question comprises two parts: the first inquires about the sex assigned at birth, and the second asks about current gender identity, offering responses including male, female, transgender, nonbinary, and a write-in option.
Some of the trial questionnaires allow respondents to select multiple answers, whereas others limit them to a single response. Additionally, the surveys are testing a “degenderizing” approach to household relationship inquiries by modifying terms like “biological son or daughter” to “biological child.”
The evolving questions aim to capture a more accurate reflection of the diverse identities within the U.S. population, enhancing the scope and relevance of the survey data for understanding American life in the 21st century.
