Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a June 11, 2021, CNN Business article entitled ``LGBTQ+ Americans aren't fully counted by the government. That's a big problem.'' [From CNN Business, June, 11, 2021] LGBTQ+ Americans Aren't Fully Counted by the Government. That's a Big Problem (By Anneken Tappe and Alicia Wallace) Government data help policymakers find and fix problems for people in need. But that's tricky if some groups aren't represented in the stats. This is the case for the LGBTQ+ community, and it's a huge problem. Here's an example: The government's monthly jobs report shows how many men and women, Black, White, Asian and Hispanic workers are unemployed. The stats lay bare a lot of inequities, but there are no comparable federal data on LGBTQ+ workers. ``We are invisible in federal statistics, when it comes to some policymakers,'' said Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). Put more bluntly: ``If we don't get counted, we don't count,'' said Cathy Renna, communications director at the National LGBTQ Task Force. Official stats, including the Census, are used to decide how federal funds are distributed--to the tune of $1.5 trillion. But data gaps in the jobs reports, health surveys and the decennial Census affect millions of people: 5.6 percent of US adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, according to a Gallup survey published in February.…”