International Conference: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status Research: ​ Data Collection, Analysis, Social and Policy Engagement

Co-organized by

Sexualities Research Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,

United Nations Development Programme,

and Gender Studies Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,

With support from the CUHK Faculty of Social Science Conference Grant

Sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics (SOGIE) based rights are increasingly recognized in different parts of the world. While in the past such debates were mainly clouded by emotional debates and personal viewpoints, more recently empirical research begins to provide a substantial amount of evidence to guide how the general public, service providers as well as policy makers view lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in society.

This conference is cutting-edge in considering how data about sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status, can best be collected, analyzed and utilized for social and policy engagements. A recent report by UNDP and The World Bank identified an urgent global need for more data and research on LGBTI people. That report also highlighted the importance of building interdisciplinary research networks that would plan and carry out methodological research to improve and expand data, as well as to analyze existing data on important health, social, economic, and other issues related to LGBTI inclusion.

As research about LGBTI people is developing, more methodological questions are asked about the unique challenges of studying LGBTI populations, and opportunities have increased to use research on LGBTI people to contribute to the empirical and theoretical literature of many disciplines. This research conference brings local, regional as well as international experts on LGBTI data collection together to discuss existing data sources on LGBTI people, data collection best practices and analysis strategies as well as to identify research gaps.

Rigorous and professionally acceptable research and data collection are critical elements in developing good public policy. This conference also seeks to understand the pathways to impact – how LGBTI research can bring maximum impact in terms of social and policy engagement. It brings researchers of LGBTI issues the exciting opportunity to dialogue with local service providers as well as international agencies that influence policy.

Objectives:

• To inspire and equip academics and community-based groups to conduct sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status research that can inform policy and practice

• To understand how government, national human rights institutions and UN partners make use of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status research, thereby inform what are the best ways to use empirical evidence to effect changes

• To identify the challenges and opportunities of conducting sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status research in a cross-cultural context, using Asia as an example

• To locate best practices or useful examples of conducting sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status research that matter for policy and practice in Asian countries

Participants:

It is expected that participants will come from academic and community-based groups, government, national human rights institutions and UN partners.

Conference website: https://www.lgbtidataconf2018.org