Reclaiming Our Data

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An attack on our data is an attack on our rights.

Our Data. Our Rights. Our Power.

Understanding What’s at Stake

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 The Trump administration is actively rolling back data collection on gender identity, sexual orientation, and racial disparities—undermining decades of progress in civil rights enforcement, anti-discrimination efforts, and equitable resource distribution.

While many public datasets have been restored after removals earlier this year, there is growing uncertainty about whether this administration will continue to collect, maintain, and make these data accessible. The future of comprehensive, transparent, and publicly available demographic data is at risk.

When we lose data, we lose power. And when data collection itself is threatened, our ability to document injustice, track progress, and demand accountability is eroded. We risk losing the tools we need to protect civil rights in housing, education, health care, voting, employment, and beyond.

Why Our Data Is Under Attack

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Key Messaging for Reclaiming Our Data

Data is power. Data is a civil right.

Efforts to eliminate demographic data collection are deliberate attempts to weaken civil rights enforcement and erase our communities. Without accurate data, inequality becomes invisible, and those in power remain unchallenged.

Without data, discrimination thrives.

Recent rollbacks of demographic data collection—especially data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI)—are designed to eliminate evidence of systemic disparities and disenfranchise entire communities. When we lose these data, we lose the ability to hold institutions accountable.

How and where does data suppression harm us?

  • Healthcare – Without SOGI and race data, disparities in treatment and health outcomes go unchecked.
  • Housing – Fair housing protections weaken when we can’t track racial, gender, and other forms of discrimination.
  • Education – Ending DEI programs erases the ability to track disparities in school funding and access.
  • Voting Rights – Restricting demographic data enables voter suppression in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Everyone has the right to be counted.

Data equity ensures policies reflect real communities, not political agendas. Restricting self-identification doesn’t protect privacy—it erases people.

Our identities should not be erased for political convenience.

  • We have the right to self-identify. We are the best and most accurate sources for our own identities.
  • Inadequate data collection and reporting harm LGBTQ+,, communities of color, and immigrant communities the most.
  • If we are not counted, we are not considered in policy decisions.
  • When we are not counted, our ability to enforce our rights is threatened.

We must act now before our data disappear forever.

  • Push for state and local protections to counter federal rollbacks.
  • Invest in community-driven data collection to preserve visibility.
  • Fight political interference in public data systems.

When data disappear, so does accountability.

All of our communities rely on accurate data for funding, representation, and civil rights protections. If we allow data to be suppressed, we allow injustice to go unchecked.

This is about power, equity, and justice.

  • We need demographic data to ensure that our communities are receiving their fair share of resources.
  • Civil rights enforcement depends on data. If we can’t prove discrimination, we can’t fight it.
  • Data suppression is a long-term strategy to eliminate accountability.
How We Can All Take Action

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Here’s what you can do.

We are collecting stories about how YOU use race and ethnicity data to show policymakers why access to these data is critical.
How do you use race and ethnicity data in your work or advocacy? Share your story telling us how.

Here are more specific actions you can take to help reclaim our data.

Community-Based Organizations

  • Mobilize communities to fight data erasure by sharing the significance of data. Use the key messaging found on this page.
  • Advocate for data equity and integrity to policymakers and regulators. Use our resources throughout the site.
  • Push for state-level protections against demographic data rollbacks. You can also use our partner resources for this advocacy.

All Concerned Citizens & Community Members

Policymakers & Elected Officials

  • Defend SOGI and racial data collection at state and federal levels.
  • Ensure transparency in public data reporting.
  • Reject political interference in demographic data collection.
More Actions You Can Take Today

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Now, use this Community Partner Toolkit to get started on building data equity in your community.

Our Community Partner Toolkit is designed to equip you with the resources, messaging, and guidelines necessary to engage in meaningful discussions on this issue with policymakers, press, community leaders, and other prominent voices. By connecting the issues you work on to the need for accurate and inclusive data, you can drive understanding, support, and action toward policies that promote data equity.