‘Not too complex’: health experts criticise Labor for ditching LGBTQI+ census questions

Accurate and inclusive data collection is essential to address health disparities among trans and gender diverse populations, research institutes say. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Leading health experts have criticised the federal government for suggesting proposed LGBTQI+ questions should be excluded from the census because they were “too complex” – arguing similar questions are already used elsewhere.

Versions of the proposed questions have been answered by 85,000 Australians in existing health surveys administered by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.