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Queer Data: Using Gender, Sex and Sexuality Data for Action
Data has never mattered more. Our lives are increasingly shaped by it and how it is defined, collected and used. But who counts in the collection, analysis and application of data?
This important book is the first to look at queer data – defined as data relating to gender, sex, sexual orientation and trans identity/history. The author shows us how current data practices reflect an incomplete account of LGBTQ lives and helps us understand how data biases are used to delegitimise the everyday experiences of queer people.
Guyan demonstrates why it is important to understand, collect and analyse queer data, the benefits and challenges involved in doing so, and how we might better use queer data in our work. Arming us with the tools for action, this book shows how greater knowledge about queer identities is instrumental in informing decisions about resource allocation, changes to legislation, access to services, representation and visibility.
This important book is the first to look at queer data – defined as data relating to gender, sex, sexual orientation and trans identity/history. The author shows us how current data practices reflect an incomplete account of LGBTQ lives and helps us understand how data biases are used to delegitimise the everyday experiences of queer people.
Guyan demonstrates why it is important to understand, collect and analyse queer data, the benefits and challenges involved in doing so, and how we might better use queer data in our work. Arming us with the tools for action, this book shows how greater knowledge about queer identities is instrumental in informing decisions about resource allocation, changes to legislation, access to services, representation and visibility.
238 pages, Hardcover
Published January 13, 2022
29 people are currently reading
742 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
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April 1, 2025This is a very important book for the advancement of the LGBTQ* community, and for people working with data about people in general. It describes how activists, civil society groups, and individuals can harness data on gender, sex, and sexuality to advance their causes. It also addresses the important, and often neglected, question on if and when some types of data are necessary, and in what ways they can be collected to give meaningful answers while respecting the people they are asked of.
This book is a treasure trove for everyone involved in this kind of community work and/or the social sciences dealing with matters related to sex, gender and sexuality. Five stars for its content, and its relevance!
Regarding reading pleasure the book was different than what I had expected. Its language reminded me of social science papers with their particular jargon and, above all, sentences and paragraphs that were just a bit too long for me to grasp with my limited background in that field. I am unfamiliar with many concepts that are brought up in the book, and frankly I'm not very interested in "[someone]'s theory of [something]" that may or may not have anything to do with what's being discussed in the book. I also did not want to read the names of all the researchers who first described a certain phenomenon, regardless of their undoubted merit, despite the author naming these people at every opportunity. For me to benefit more from "Queer Data", it would have had to be more simplified and closer to other works in popular science.
I was especially unhappy with the excruciatingly long paragraphs in some of the chapters, which sometimes went on for several pages although they addressed several different arguments. Kevin Guyan, hit that 'Enter' key!!
Fortunately, every chapter starts with a personal anecdote from the author, which helped me get into the respective topic, and ended with a very helpful summary of what was covered. Everyone interested in the background and sources of "Queer Data" will be delighted to find the comprehensive bibliography at the end of each chapter (easy to find and use!) as well as at the end of the book.
I strongly recommend this book to everyone who plans to collect or analyze data about LGBTQ* people anywhere, especially to readers with a bit of a background in the social sciences.
I am looking forward to a sequel that will show the importance of "queer data literacy" to a broader audience. The more people know about the implications of queer data and its history, the better these communities can be heard, represented, and ultimately served by those in power.
This book is a treasure trove for everyone involved in this kind of community work and/or the social sciences dealing with matters related to sex, gender and sexuality. Five stars for its content, and its relevance!
Regarding reading pleasure the book was different than what I had expected. Its language reminded me of social science papers with their particular jargon and, above all, sentences and paragraphs that were just a bit too long for me to grasp with my limited background in that field. I am unfamiliar with many concepts that are brought up in the book, and frankly I'm not very interested in "[someone]'s theory of [something]" that may or may not have anything to do with what's being discussed in the book. I also did not want to read the names of all the researchers who first described a certain phenomenon, regardless of their undoubted merit, despite the author naming these people at every opportunity. For me to benefit more from "Queer Data", it would have had to be more simplified and closer to other works in popular science.
I was especially unhappy with the excruciatingly long paragraphs in some of the chapters, which sometimes went on for several pages although they addressed several different arguments. Kevin Guyan, hit that 'Enter' key!!
Fortunately, every chapter starts with a personal anecdote from the author, which helped me get into the respective topic, and ended with a very helpful summary of what was covered. Everyone interested in the background and sources of "Queer Data" will be delighted to find the comprehensive bibliography at the end of each chapter (easy to find and use!) as well as at the end of the book.
I strongly recommend this book to everyone who plans to collect or analyze data about LGBTQ* people anywhere, especially to readers with a bit of a background in the social sciences.
I am looking forward to a sequel that will show the importance of "queer data literacy" to a broader audience. The more people know about the implications of queer data and its history, the better these communities can be heard, represented, and ultimately served by those in power.
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May 19, 2022I bought this book a while ago and never got around to reading it. Then I started working on my dissertation, and attended a talk (online) with the author at UCL. Couldn't sleep at all last night so decided it was as good a time as any to read it.
Lots of valuable insights, took lots of notes for my diss and think it was very informative/accessible. Would recommend to anyone conducting research for uni.
Lots of valuable insights, took lots of notes for my diss and think it was very informative/accessible. Would recommend to anyone conducting research for uni.
June 8, 2025
A fascinating read poignant as we enter an age commanded data. This book was a brilliant introduction to data justice through a queer framework. It unpicked the idea of data as objective, highlighting the stories it has to tell and the way in which methodologies can uplift or oppress the data it seeks to collect. It highlights the political ways in which data can be used for action or can be masked to disguise inaction. Deeply relevant and well argued and readable for someone who isn’t super familiar with the ins and outs of data collection as a research topic.
October 5, 2025
Important. I am happy to see queer studies and lives gaining traction both in academic and political contexts. A lot of useful quantitative research insights. However, the author keeps promising and underdelivering. I expected a deep dive and I got a toe-dip. I anticipated large scope and I got a Scotland-centric view. Not necessarily bad. Just not enough to blow me away.
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July 28, 2022An important and useful study but despite the jaunty cover, this is far more academic writing than popular science.
May 12, 2023
Very thought provoking, now to consider what actions to take!
June 27, 2022
A good read and a much needed addition to any researcher's library. I do wish there were more directive suggestions for queering data analysis directly, but that is probably beyond their scope. It made me think hard about why it is that we collect SOGI data, and what exactly do we plan to do with it once we have it? And that collecting data isn't an end goal.
February 10, 2022
Such a joy seeing this book in all my favourite bookshops, an engaging and educational read that I will happily put in the hands of customers!
April 13, 2025
This book is essential for anyone interested in data and its application. I gained several insights from it, many of which extend beyond gender, sex, and sexuality data, offering valuable lessons for anyone involved in data collection and analysis.
Anyone who has worked with data understands that it is not neutral. Data doesn’t simply describe reality, it actively shapes it. This is especially true for marginalised groups, where the act of collecting data can construct identities rather than merely reflecting them. The methods of data collection, and how the data is used, significantly impact its effects. Particularly when working with minority groups, it is essential to engage with the communities involved in both the collection practices and the use of the data.
Embracing methodological queerness allows us to capture the fluidity of identities, while intersectionality is crucial for understanding how race, gender, and sexuality intersect to shape experiences of inequality. Furthermore, ethical data collection must prioritise the lived experiences of participants over institutional goals. Ultimately, data should drive meaningful action, not simply serve as a performative metric for diversity.
The insights from Queer Data emphasise the importance of ethical, intersectional, and community driven approaches to data collection and usage ensuring that data contributes to meaningful and inclusive change.
Anyone who has worked with data understands that it is not neutral. Data doesn’t simply describe reality, it actively shapes it. This is especially true for marginalised groups, where the act of collecting data can construct identities rather than merely reflecting them. The methods of data collection, and how the data is used, significantly impact its effects. Particularly when working with minority groups, it is essential to engage with the communities involved in both the collection practices and the use of the data.
Embracing methodological queerness allows us to capture the fluidity of identities, while intersectionality is crucial for understanding how race, gender, and sexuality intersect to shape experiences of inequality. Furthermore, ethical data collection must prioritise the lived experiences of participants over institutional goals. Ultimately, data should drive meaningful action, not simply serve as a performative metric for diversity.
The insights from Queer Data emphasise the importance of ethical, intersectional, and community driven approaches to data collection and usage ensuring that data contributes to meaningful and inclusive change.
January 29, 2023
Data that is digitised is inherently binary, it’s stored literally as 1 or 0. What better type of theory to challenge such a seemingly fixed dualism than Queer Theory? Kevin Guyan is Research Fellow at Glasgow University’s School of Culture and Creative Arts, has a seat on the Young Scot’s Data Advisory Group and his work ‘explores the intersection of data and identity'. Similar to the investigations of Criado-Perez in Invisible Women, Guyan argues that it is often the omission or absence of data that drives inequality. An example Gyuan provides is from South America where trans victims of hate crimes and murder ‘are registered according to their sex assigned at birth, their gender identity is not reflected in the records’ leading to an absence of data on trans homicides. Guyan articulates a distinction between queer data and queering the data where queer data relates to the ‘collection, analysis and use of data about LGBTQ people’ which is used to categorise and make a decision about them versus queering the data which ‘critically questions the foundations upon which these categories stand’. I had to speed read this for a university module but plan to come back to it for a slower read.
July 17, 2024
If you want to expend your understanding about the relationship between data and the ‘reality’ it claims to represent… this book is for you!
I like Kavin’s exploration of how can we better collect, analyze data in order to improve the lives of the people about whom it relates. He also raises the importance od language in data collection and how what is collected does depend a lot on language used. As well as new practical ways to use queer data to improve the lives and experiences of LGBTQ people by challenging traditional approach.
The book poses many valid questions, one of them being: Why gender markers are required in a passport?” … is this info really helping with passenger’s identification? At the same time, Dutch government has ‘committed to limiting the registration of legal genders wherever possible’!
I like Kavin’s exploration of how can we better collect, analyze data in order to improve the lives of the people about whom it relates. He also raises the importance od language in data collection and how what is collected does depend a lot on language used. As well as new practical ways to use queer data to improve the lives and experiences of LGBTQ people by challenging traditional approach.
The book poses many valid questions, one of them being: Why gender markers are required in a passport?” … is this info really helping with passenger’s identification? At the same time, Dutch government has ‘committed to limiting the registration of legal genders wherever possible’!
Read
April 1, 2025finished the book instead of doing my other 3000 readings. the first book i’ve ever read discussing queer data and what that means. i’d argue this is fundamental for researchers and everyone should read at least one chapter to have a better perspective on just what essentially data means in these contexts
January 23, 2023
Really nice little niche book. Does a good job of going over all the specifics of doing research and using data about/for lgbtq issues. A bit repetitive sometimes, and it has a relatively short bit on using the data for action, but otherwise a good recommendation if this is your jam.
March 12, 2022
standard and intuitive concepts and findings ... but nonetheless important !!
June 25, 2022
Important work - well worth a read!
May 10, 2023
3.75, rounding up to 4.
June 12, 2025
collecting data bad, not collecting data also bad. we’re doomed
June 23, 2023
This book provides an accessible overview to issues surrounding data collection of queer populations, and argues for data collectors who support LGBTQ+ populations to regard the data collection itself as a political endeavor.
The book has some notable strengths: the observation of how govts + orgs frequently and recurrently demand "evidence," even when recent data has already been collected that illustrate disparities or discrimination, feeds well into Sara Ahmed's observations about "doing the document" (which I believe Guyan even references); the observation of how data cleaning tends to erase non-conforming identities, either dropping observations or merging them into an "Other" or "Prefer Not to Say" category; how censuses historically struggle to capture queer relationships, noting that the 1990 US census would code one of the members of a same-sex couple living in a household as a couple in a relationship (preserving that data point) but change the sex of one of the respondents to a woman; "splitting" tends to remove bisexual people from censuses.
Most interesting perhaps is the detailed dive into the politics of writing census questions, and the deep dive into the Scottish 2022 census. Writing questions in certain ways might confuse respondents (e.g., may not understand term "cisgender"), alienate respondents who then refuse to participate or intentionally corrupt the census (e.g., "this woke census!"); considerations of choosing gender by default in studies, only selecting sex in cases of need; 3rd gender categories in S Asia.
All capped in difference between these three questions:
"Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation?" (Scotland)
"Do you consider yourself to be trans, or have a trans history?" (Scotland)
"Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?" (England, Wales)
Very different in creating yes/no question vs. one with no obvious default; different in explicitly linking to gender identity vs. focusing on term trans as different; different in focus on present identification vs. historical identification...but for the two questions on gender identity, both avoided "cis". This didn't stop TERFs from trolling it, though
The book has some notable strengths: the observation of how govts + orgs frequently and recurrently demand "evidence," even when recent data has already been collected that illustrate disparities or discrimination, feeds well into Sara Ahmed's observations about "doing the document" (which I believe Guyan even references); the observation of how data cleaning tends to erase non-conforming identities, either dropping observations or merging them into an "Other" or "Prefer Not to Say" category; how censuses historically struggle to capture queer relationships, noting that the 1990 US census would code one of the members of a same-sex couple living in a household as a couple in a relationship (preserving that data point) but change the sex of one of the respondents to a woman; "splitting" tends to remove bisexual people from censuses.
Most interesting perhaps is the detailed dive into the politics of writing census questions, and the deep dive into the Scottish 2022 census. Writing questions in certain ways might confuse respondents (e.g., may not understand term "cisgender"), alienate respondents who then refuse to participate or intentionally corrupt the census (e.g., "this woke census!"); considerations of choosing gender by default in studies, only selecting sex in cases of need; 3rd gender categories in S Asia.
All capped in difference between these three questions:
"Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation?" (Scotland)
"Do you consider yourself to be trans, or have a trans history?" (Scotland)
"Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?" (England, Wales)
Very different in creating yes/no question vs. one with no obvious default; different in explicitly linking to gender identity vs. focusing on term trans as different; different in focus on present identification vs. historical identification...but for the two questions on gender identity, both avoided "cis". This didn't stop TERFs from trolling it, though
September 11, 2024
A book that has transformed my personal and professional life.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews