Appendix C: SOGI Questions for Pretest (English)

SOGI Questions For Cognitive Pretesting

NASEM Measuring Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation (2022)	OMB Recommendations on the best practices for the collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data on federal statistical surveys (2023)	YRBS High School Standard Version	HRC (Human Rights Campaign) Recommendations for SOGIE measures for Children and Youth	GLSEN National School Climate Survey (2021)
Sexual Orientation Identity
Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself? [Select ONE]: Lesbian or gay Straight, that is, not gay or lesbian Bisexual [If respondent is AIAN:] Two-Spirit I use a different term [free-text] (Don’t know) (Prefer not to answer)	Which of the following best represents how you think of yourself? Gay or lesbian Straight, that is not gay or lesbian Bisexual I use a different term [free-text] I don’t know	Which of the following best describes you? A. Heterosexual (straight) B. Gay or lesbian C. Bisexual D. I describe my sexual identity some other way E. I am not sure about my sexual identity (questioning) F. I do not know what this question is asking	The next few questions ask about how you identify yourself in terms of your sexual orientation and your gender. We ask everyone these questions because we work with all kinds of young people, and they help us make sure everyone is equally safe and supported. If you don’t want to answer any of these questions right now, you can leave them blank. Which of the following best describes your sexual orientation? o Lesbian or gay o Heterosexual or straight o Bisexual o Pansexual o Asexual o Prefer no labels o Something else: _______________ o Not sure about my sexual orientation o Not sure what this question means	5a. Below is a list of terms people often use to describe their sexuality or sexual orientation. (Please choose all that apply to you.) Gay Lesbian Bisexual Pansexual Straight/Heterosexual Questioning Queer Asexual None of these apply to me, but I am ___________________ 5b. Among the terms you selected, do you identify with one more strongly than others? (SELECT ONE ONLY) Gay Lesbian Bisexual Pansexual Straight/Heterosexual Questioning Queer Asexual I do not identify with any one term more strongly than the others I chose.
The panel also recommends several areas for research, including validation of measures of sexual behavior and attraction and measures that incorporate “queer,” asexual, and other emerging identities; alternate wording for the “straight” response category; the utility of including community specific terminology in response options; performance within adolescent populations; and how proxy reporting affects data quality (Recommendation 3).	It is difficult to find response options that both comprehensively reflect LGBTQI+ identities and are universally understood [24], particularly for youth or young adults [2, 3, 8, 19, 30, 35, 37]. Therefore, it’s important to test terminology with a broad range of respondents or rely on previously tested terminology.			These items were used to assess sexual orientation among a national sample of LGBTQ+ secondary students as part of the 2021 National School Climate Survey (NSCS).
Sex Assigned at Birth and Gender Identity
1a. What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? Female Male (Don’t know) (Prefer not to answer) 1b. What is your current gender? [Mark only one] Female Male Transgender [If respondent is AIAN:] Two-Spirit I use a different term: [free text] (Don’t know) (Prefer not to answer)	2a. What sex were you assigned at birth, on your original birth certificate? Female Male 2b. How do you currently describe yourself (mark all that apply)? Female Male Transgender I use a different term [free-text] OPTIONAL GENDER QUESTION 2c. Are you (Mark all that apply)? Female Male Transgender, non-binary, or another gender	3a. What is your sex? A. Female B. Male 3b. Some people describe themselves as transgender when their sex at birth does not match the way they think or feel about their gender. Are you transgender? A. No, I am not transgender B. Yes, I am transgender C. I am not sure if I am transgender D. I do not know what this question is asking	4a. Which of the following best describes your gender? o Male o Female o Another gender: _______________ 4b. Do you consider yourself to be transgender? o No, I am not transgender o Yes, I am a transgender girl (assigned male at birth and identify myself as a girl) o Yes, I am a transgender boy (assigned female at birth and identify myself as a boy) o Yes, I identify as non-binary, genderqueer, or another term o Not sure whether I am transgender o Not sure what this question means	5. Below is a list of some terms that people may use to describe their gender identity. (Please choose all those that apply to you.) Male Female Nonbinary Genderqueer Cisgender (your gender identity is the same as your sex assigned at birth) Transgender (your gender identity is not the same as your sex assigned at birth) Not Sure/Questioning A gender identity not listed here (please describe your gender identity): __________________
The panel also recommends areas for future research and question development, including the need for additional gender identity response options (e.g., nonbinary), alternative two-step measures that do not rely on sex assigned at birth, the effect of changes in the recording of sex on birth certificates, how proxy reporting affects data quality, and expanded testing among youth and non-English speakers (Recommendation 5).	Because sex assigned at birth does not define gender [25], respondents should not be asked to provide their sex assigned at birth unless they are also given the opportunity to provide their current gender identity. Whenever an individual’s responses to the two-step gender identity items classify the respondent as a gender minority a confirmation question can be used to verify. When using a two-step approach to measuring gender, as depicted in the Example SOGI Module, the recommendation is to report out four categories for gender based on the following logic when the analytical goal is to illuminate any potential differences in outcome measures for gender minorities. If sample size allows, estimates may be further disaggregated (for example reporting trans men and trans women, or frequent write-in responses, separately). 1. Cisgender Male – would be determined by Q1 “male” AND Q2 “male” OR “I use another term”, accompanied by a write-in response that codes as male. 2. Cisgender Female – would be determined by Q1 “female” AND Q2 “female” OR “I use another term”, accompanied by a write-in response that codes as female.	Asks about transgender separate from sex.	Asks about transgender separate from gender.	Presents a single-item option that asks about sex assigned at birth and gender identity.

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