Gender Data and Demographics Toolkit

Gender Data and Demographics Toolkit

An EDUCAUSE Working Group Paper

Data about sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) can contribute to the full expression of individuals’ identities, particularly those in the LGBTQIA+ community, but collecting, storing, and sharing such data carries risks that need to be understood and addressed.

Vibrant Abstract Design with Pride Flag Colors
Credit: LiezDesign / Shutterstock.com © 2024

Since the founding of the United States, many marginalized and minoritized people have faced countless forms of discrimination and violence and been denied full participation in the rights and privileges that the country grants to members of majority groups. Progress toward "a more perfect Union" is an uneven, ongoing process. Only in 2015, for example, did the U.S. Supreme Court guarantee same-sex couples equal rights and responsibilities in marriage.

Meaningful improvement for a community, however, often prompts backlash. In recent years, various elected officials, organizational leaders, and others in positions of power have proposed—and in many cases enacted—a significant number of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws and policies, and higher education is not immune to these effects. Laws and policies that were previously assumed to protect certain personal information are often not structured to prevent newer forms of misuse. Additionally, individual-level discrimination and violence against LGBTQIA+ people continue to be major risks to their safety and well-being.

Even as awareness has grown about trans and nonbinary communities, they have been specifically singled out as the targets of discriminatory and harmful attitudes, policies, and legislative actions. Until relatively recently, dialogue about what it means to live in the world as a trans or nonbinary person was consigned to the edges and recesses of public discourse, and the ability to choose anything other than "male" or "female" on official forms was essentially nonexistent. Today, a growing number of organizations collect data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), and knowledge of the issues that trans and nonbinary people face is increasing. But so too are the obstacles.

Cultural attitudes and legislative action vary considerably by region and state, and these widening jurisdictional differences create complicated risks for individuals and the institutions that collect SOGI data. And although this toolkit focuses on U.S. colleges and universities, higher education serves students from around the world, and many institutions operate or partner with campuses in other countries, some of which criminalize certain gender identities and sexual orientations.

Guiding Principles

Reflecting the EDUCAUSE vision of "Inspiring the transformation of higher education in service to a greater good," we offer the following guiding principles:

  • Data Minimization: The belief that more data always leads to better decision-making is a common misconception. Quality and usefulness of data surpass quantity when it comes to enhancing the student experience. In cases where data collection may harm individuals, data collection should be limited to only what is necessary for an intended purpose, and data collectors should weigh the benefits of collection against potential harms.

  • Creating Space for Authenticity: The higher education community thrives when colleagues and students can be their authentic selves, contributing invaluable insights from their lived experiences. However, this is achievable only in a physically and psychologically safe environment.

  • Affirmation in the Face of Hostility: Embracing diversity and championing open-mindedness, inclusivity, and the free exchange of ideas strengthens our collective pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Affirming and supporting individuals in their identities, experiences, and ideas, even when confronted with hostility and opposition, is a vital part of this work.

  • Responding to Change: As the social, political, and technology landscapes evolve, an important part of this work will be revising policies and procedures to account for new risks and opportunities.

This toolkit was drafted over the course of 18 months (May 2023 to October 2024) by a working group of higher education technology professionals from across the United States. It should serve as a resource to help better understand gender data and demographics and the human and legal impacts of collecting, storing, and sharing SOGI data. It is also intended to help institutions make intentional, informed decisions about the data they collect and how that data is used. No approach will be right for all situations, and each institution will need to adapt the recommendations to its circumstances. If you are in a location or institution in which the risks to LGBTQIA+ people are already high, we suggest that you take immediate actions to address risk and impact.

How to Use This Toolkit

Each institution will need to determine how to best implement the recommendations in this toolkit. We suggest the following steps as a starting point:

  1. Form a core team.

    • This team should include representatives of IT units and data owners, legal and compliance experts, and local and community representatives from LGBTQIA+ communities and organizations. "The 8 Steps for Leading Change" from consulting firm Kotter provides helpful guidance, including about how to assemble an effective team.

    • Include people who are LGBTQIA+—members of directly impacted marginalized groups should always contribute to the decision-making process. Institutional policies, practices, structures, and systems developed from a cisnormative and heteronormative perspective won't account for the existence of LGBTQIA+ people.

    • Implementing the recommendations in this toolkit may require challenging a variety of assumptions, both personally and systemically, and unanticipated institutional and technical barriers are likely to emerge. Members of the core team must understand this and be willing to work through these challenges.

  2. Have the core team read through this toolkit in its entirety and meet to discuss plans to implement it.

    • After careful analysis and due diligence, determine which of the recommendations apply to your institution and identify any significant challenges to implementing them.

    • Set timelines, determine accountability and responsibilities, and follow other best practices for implementing or changing policies in your organization.

  3. When appropriate, bring in additional people to consult or to implement recommendations.

    • Determine which parts of this toolkit they should read—they likely won't need to read the entire document, but ensure that everyone participating is aware of the full toolkit and has the opportunity to read it if they are interested.