New Australian Bureau of Statistics Standard for Sex, Gender, Variation of Sex Characteristics and Sexual Orientation Variables, 2020 ('2020 Standard').
LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, along with other community-led organisations and researchers, participated as an active member of the Sex, Sex Characteristics, Gender and Sexual Orientation Reference Group, to provide expert advice on updating the 2016 Sex and Gender Standard.
The 2020 Standard was developed by the ABS to standardise the collection and dissemination of data relating to sex, gender, sex characteristics and sexual orientation.
This continued our collaborative partnership with the ABS to achieve nationally consistent LGBTI data indicators, following our work with the ABS to review 2021 Census topics.
CEO of LGBTIQ+ Health Australia Nicky Bath, said: “We hold our partnership with the ABS in very high regard.”
“The development of these variables is so incredibly important to the health and wellbeing of our communities. Currently the data on the health and wellbeing of our communities has significant gaps which is hindering Government responses and reducing the benefits we can gain from being included in for example Minimum Data Sets and Coroners data.”
“The Standard gives us the means to work with health and wellbeing sector data sets and ensure that the questions to identify LGBTIQ+ communities in the data are asked consistently and appropriately.”
There is a strong and enthusiastic appetite and commitment for this Standard to be used universally across the health system.
“It is essential that we work together quickly and in a focused way to promote and use the variables in all government surveys, minimum data sets, suicide death data records, and research surveys, so that in 2026 we can complete that data cycle and have LGBTIQ+ people counted in that iteration of the national Census,” Ms. Bath concluded.
To view the Standard, visit: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/standards/standard-sex-gender-variations-sex-characteristics-and-sexual-orientation-variables/2020#introduction
If you are experiencing distress and would like to talk with someone on the phone or over the web, then please call QLife on 1800 184 527 or go to www.qlife.org.au
Media Contact: Nicky Bath, CEO | Mobile: 0432 328 706 | Email: [email protected]