Bill Introduced to Count LGBT Californians

A California assembly member introduced a bill Tuesday that would require the state to gather vital data about its LGBT population.

Assemblyman Ted Lieu's bill would require the state to add questions about sexual orientation, gender identity, and domestic partnerships in the voluntary demographic section of California's government forms.

According to Equality California, which is sponsoring the bill, this would help provide more information about LGBT people's need for and use of public services, thereby making it possible to deliver the appropriate amount of services.

"This bill will improve the state's ability to measure the community's needs for such crucial public services as job training, and it will ultimately enable California to ensure that LGBT Californians, especially those living in poverty, receive the services they need to take care of their families and to lead healthy lives," Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, said in a statement Thursday. "Currently the state collects little data on the LGBT community, and this bill would help close the information gap."