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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. Around 40 professionals from various Argentine universities have joined forces to develop the First National Survey of Living Conditions of Sexual and Gender Diversity. Its objective is to understand the living conditions and employment opportunities of this population throughout the country. The survey will be conducted via an anonymous online form

“This survey seeks to understand the living conditions of the population of sexual diversity and gender identities in our country, considering the data in an intersectional way,” Úrsula Sabarece, director of Diversity, Sexual Dissidence and Gender Identity of the province of Chaco and member of the initiative, Agencia Presentes

Last year, a group of census advocates submitted the project to the PICTO-Gender and it was selected. The initiative is funded by the Agency for Scientific and Technological Promotion (ANPCyT) , in an agreement with the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity .

“The project arose from the need for reliable statistical data on the living conditions of the LGBTQ+ population, especially regarding employment and job placement,” explained Maximiliano Marentes. The sociologist, a CONICET researcher based at the Interdisciplinary School of Advanced Social Studies (IDAES) of the University of San Martín (UNSAM), is one of the project coordinators.

The institutions participating in the initiative include the Center for Population Studies (CENEP), the National University of Comahue (UNComa), the National University of Córdoba (UNC), and the Institute of Geohistorical Research (IIGHI – Conicet/UNNE). Also participating are the National University of Salta (UNSa), the National University of San Martín (UNSAM), and the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (Conicet).

The goal? “To advance in the construction of quality information that can inform and guide specific public policies,” the sociologist summarized.

Quality information

The heterosexual and cisgender population—whose gender identity matches the one they were assigned at birth—has access to information in statistics such as the National Census and the Permanent Household Survey. “But those of us who are not heterosexual and cisgender remain invisible in these surveys ,” Marentes warned.

Furthermore, the statistical information currently available related to sexual and gender diversity consists of “specific surveys and was limited to specific regions and/or specific populations, hindering systematicity.”

In this regard, some frequently consulted sources of information on the transvestite and trans community include the First Survey on the Trans Population conducted in La Matanza in 2012; and the reports *The Quest for a Proper Name* (2005) and *Cumbia, Drinking, and Tears* (2007). Additionally, in 2017, *The Butterfly Revolution .

For these reasons, the idea arose to conduct a federal census of sexual and gender diversity regarding the labor and economic activities of this population. The survey is anonymous, online, self-administered, and can be completed until July 30, 2023.

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Generate diverse and federal data

The census will allow us to understand the particularities of the group. “What kind of jobs do they have, in which economic sectors, in which areas of the country are they most concentrated. But, in addition, we will have information about coming out, whether they have shared their gender identities with others, and whether they have suffered situations of discrimination,” Marentes explained. 

“We like to say that sharing our stories is another way to make ourselves visible. In this case, it's about doing it anonymously, since the survey/census is confidential,” she added.

Participants emphasize that this is a federal project. “It’s wonderful to be able to work with colleagues from different parts of the country, from different disciplines; it’s very enriching. And that also leads us to consider the challenges we face when generating statistical data that incorporates a gender and diversity perspective, while at the same time ensuring comparability with other data sources in the country,” stated the CONICET researcher.

In this regard, the working group is comprised of six nodes. Each node corresponds to a region: City of Buenos Aires, Patagonia, Central, Northeast/Litoral, Northwest, and the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area. Professionals from other regions of the country also collaborate with the team.

“This allows the data to be analyzed nationally, by region, and by province. This would contribute to the definition of public policies. It is very important to clarify that this represents a contribution to all existing local initiatives concerning this population sector in an integrated way,” Sabarece added. 

Everyone should answer

The project also includes other objectives besides compiling the census. A second phase involves conducting qualitative interviews with key figures from various sectors. "These interviews aim to reconstruct, from an expert perspective, the issues surrounding sexual and gender diversity in relation to the economic sphere," the initiative's promoters explained in a statement.

Another action will be a mapping of organizations, groups, and cultural spaces representing sexual and gender diversity throughout the country. Its aim is to “explore and document the actions that are being carried out.” Finally, the initiative will conduct a bibliographic survey to “contribute to the decentralization of knowledge.”

For the census to be representative of the LGBTIQ+ population, it must be widely disseminated. “We need everyone’s collaboration. Both those who are part of the LGBTIQ+ community to answer the survey, and those who are not, to help us spread the word. The more responses we receive, the more representative the information we obtain will be,” Marentes concluded.

The form can be completed at this link: http://censodiversidad.ar/