Trump Administration Scrubs LGBTQ+ Questions from Federal Surveys

Researchers warn lack of data will tangibly affect resources available to LGBTQ+ individuals

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A new study has found that the Trump administration has removed at least one measure of sexual orientation and gender identity in about 360 federal data collections. Researchers warn this will weaken the government's ability to track disparities and document discrimination against LGBTQ+ populations.

Why it matters

Federal data on sexual orientation and gender identity are essential for understanding LGBTQ+ populations in the United States and identifying disparities in health, economics, and exposure to violence. Eliminating these measures makes LGBTQ+ people less visible to the government and reduces the resources available to address their needs.

The details

The erasure of LGBTQ+ questions comes after President Donald Trump's January 2025 executive order that only male and female gender identities would be federally recognized. About 94% of data measures removed related to gender identity, while 60 data measures relating to sexual orientation were also removed, even though the initial executive order did not make any mandates regarding sexual orientation. Mentions of sexual orientation and/or gender identity were scrubbed from 23 bias motivation surveys, preventing people from reporting discrimination based on these identities.

  • In January 2025, President Trump issued an executive order that only male and female gender identities would be federally recognized.
  • A February 2026 study by the UCLA Williams Institute found that the federal government has removed at least one measure of sexual orientation and gender identity in about 360 data collections.

The players

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who issued an executive order in January 2025 that only male and female gender identities would be federally recognized.

Lauren Bouton

The lead author of the UCLA study on the removal of LGBTQ+ questions from federal surveys.

Elana Redfield

The co-author of the UCLA study and federal policy director at the Williams Institute.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Federal data on sexual orientation and gender identity are essential for understanding LGBTQ populations in the United States. These data allow us to identify disparities in health, economics, and exposure to violence among a group that's been shown to be disproportionately at risk of these outcomes. Only then can we begin to address those realities with solutions such as more effective programming and the allocation of resources.”

— Lauren Bouton, Lead author of the UCLA study (The Advocate)

“Reliable data collection is fundamental to how the federal government identifies and responds to community needs. Eliminating [sexual orientation and gender identity] measures weakens the government's ability to track disparities and document and prevent discrimination.”

— Elana Redfield, Co-author of the UCLA study and federal policy director at the Williams Institute (The Advocate)

The takeaway

The Trump administration's removal of LGBTQ+ questions from federal surveys will make queer people less visible to the government and reduce the resources available to address their unique needs and disparities. This is part of the administration's ongoing attacks on the LGBTQ+ community and their rights.