D.C. Council member David Grosso (I-At-Large) co-introduced a health data collection bill last week. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

D.C. Council members David Grosso (I-At-Large) and Robert White (D-At-Large) introduced a bill last week that would require the D.C. Department of Health and the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education to collect demographic data on sexual orientation and gender identity as part of their public health surveys of adults and students.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Health Data Collection Amendment Act of 2018, among other things, would require the two city agencies to utilize annual health surveys to understand the health barriers impacting the LGBTQ community,” according to a statement released by White.

In a separate statement, Grosso said that although the city’s education department is already collecting some data pertaining to LGBT students, a decision by the Trump administration to cut back on LGBT data collection in various federal surveys makes it necessary for D.C. to expand its own data collection in this area.

“At a time when the federal government is retreating from its responsibility to protect everyone’s human rights, we must ensure that D.C. is doing everything it can to ensure those rights,” Grosso said. “Part of that is documenting the health disparities that affect our LGBTQ neighbors so that we can target interventions to end those disparities,” he said.

In addition to Grosso and Robert White, the 11 remaining Council members, including Council Chair Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) all signed on as co-introducers of the bill.