How to ask gender, sexual orientation, and identity questions in a survey

Collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) requires precision and respect. Because this information is highly personal, the methodology used to ask these questions directly impacts data quality and respondent trust.

Many teams still conflate sexual orientation and gender identity, or bury context, leading to a loss of key insights. As attitudes about sexual identity and identity-based language continue to evolve, it’s important to develop surveys with the utmost care and consideration while also collecting accurate data. Asking SOGI questions with clarity, respect, and a clear purpose allows you to collect better data and show people you care about getting it right. 

With clear context examples and skip logic built in, you can launch surveys that collect the right data confidently and responsibly.

Survey gender questions are becoming more inclusive as more researchers move beyond two gender options to offer three or more ways for respondents to identify.

In our 2023 State of Surveys report, we found that in the previous ten years, more than 80% of gender questions used only two answer options. By 2020, roughly 55% of surveys included three or more options, and by 2022, that share had increased to 64%. This shift reflects how quickly attitudes about gender identity are evolving and how important it is for SOGI questions to keep pace.

The main takeaway is that identity-based language will continue to evolve, but keeping gender questions current is manageable when you design for flexibility. Offer multiple gender options, leave space for respondents to self-describe, and provide clear context for why you’re collecting this data.

Related reading: Why you need to get gender equality survey questions right

Asking gender demographic questions in a survey requires a clear, thoughtful strategy. A survey gender question collects sensitive, personal data, and research shows that poorly designed gender questions can alienate respondents and produce inaccurate results.

Before adding gender questions to your survey, use this 7-point readiness check. The framework draws on survey methodology and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) best practices to help you design questions that are respectful, inclusive, and capable of delivering precise, actionable data.

Write down the exact decision your team will make with this data. Will it inform hiring outreach, improve patient navigation, or be used for program evaluation? If you can’t name a decision, don’t add a SOGI question (see #7). This maintains clarity and purpose and avoids speculative data collection.

Know who will answer and how. Federal testing plans highlight challenges when one household member answers for another (proxy reporting). When youth are involved, avoid proxies where inappropriate and gate SOGI items by age with a clear context. The Census Bureau’s testing includes work on proxy response and youth, so build your protocol to minimize proxy error.

Be clear with respondents about what you’re asking, why it matters, how their answers will be stored, and who can see them. Federal best-practice guidance recommends short, plain-language explanations with an option to skip or say “prefer not to answer.” (You’ll find sample wording later in this article.)

Teams often assume SOGI items are “too sensitive.” Evidence from federal statistical surveys shows item nonresponse is typically low for SOGI compared to other sensitive topics. That’s good news for data quality and a useful message for internal stakeholders.

If your survey includes very small subgroups, review your results carefully. Combine small categories or hide counts when needed so no one can be identified. Federal research guidance highlights this re-identification risk and recommends setting clear suppression rules before you field your survey.

Review your survey plans with Legal, Communications, and your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) partners. Give staff short, plain-language scripts and clear steps for handling questions. The Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center (MRCT) offers a SOGI checklist that’s a practical model for research and clinical teams.

Collect only what you can use to make better decisions or improve services. If you’re not ready to analyze, hold the item for a later wave. (You’ll find an at-a-glance decision tree below.)

Once you’ve worked through the readiness checklist, you’re ready to build your survey. These best practices show how to write, structure, and deliver inclusive SOGI questions that earn trust and reliable data. Each one includes sample wording you can copy straight into your project.

Language evolves quickly, and your survey language should evolve with it. Terms like non-binary and transgender are widely recognized and appear in most current federal and research surveys. Avoid outdated labels like “other”, which can feel exclusionary. Instead, write questions that reflect current inclusive language and give respondents space to self-identify authentically.

Example question:

Which of the following best represents your gender identity?

These survey gender options use current, respectful terminology and keep response options flexible for an inclusive survey experience.

Not everyone fits neatly into the predefined categories of survey gender options. A “prefer to self-describe” option tells people their identities are valid, even if the listed labels don’t fit. It also gives you valuable qualitative input for refining future surveys.

Example question:

What is your sexual orientation?

Respondents can express their identity in their own words, which increases comfort and data completeness.

These are distinct constructs and should never appear in the same item. Combining them (for example, “Do you identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?”) forces people to choose a single label that may not represent them accurately. Asking separately improves data accuracy and respondent experience.

Example (better approach):

What is your sexual orientation?

Do you consider yourself transgender?

Separate items allow respondents to represent both their gender identity and orientation accurately, producing clearer insights.

Inclusive design doesn’t end with wording. Features like skip logic or display logic keep questions relevant for each respondent and avoid unnecessary discomfort. For instance, if someone identifies as non-binary, they shouldn’t be routed to questions that only reference male or female categories.

Example setup:

If a respondent selects “Non-binary,” skip any male/female-specific questions and continue to the next applicable section.

Tailoring the flow respects each respondent’s identity, reduces fatigue, and increases completion rates.

In federal surveys, people usually answer sexual orientation and gender identity questions. Nonresponse rates are lower than for income or earnings questions. Research and federal statistical guidance confirm that clarity, optionality, and purpose make these items work. Use that insight to set expectations with your leaders and reviewers, and carry this message into your plan: ask confidently and explain why.

Potentially identifiable information could impact your results and the respondent experience. Help your respondents feel confident that their answers will not be used to identify them by clearly stating your needs. Use anonymous collectors, limit raw-data access, and suppress tiny subgroups.

If the survey is anonymous, mentioning so in your introduction can go a long way toward putting respondents’ minds at ease. It’s equally important to be transparent about how all SOGI data is stored and who can access the results. Federal best-practice recommendations and the Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity both emphasize plain-language, transparency, and optionality to minimize any burden or concerns.

Use a short, plain-language preface before any gender, sexual orientation, or identity questions. Make clear why you’re asking, how the data will be used, and that responses are optional.

“The following questions help us understand results across groups. Responses are optional and kept confidential. We never sell personal data, and only combined, de-identified results are shared.”

“These optional questions help us assess equity across programs and benefits. Results are reported in aggregate only.”

“We ask these optional questions to support respectful, appropriate care. Share only what you’re comfortable sharing.”

(If your survey involves minors, ask age first and hide SOGI items or route to guardian consent based on policy.)

Pair these statements with your anonymity settings and data-access notes so respondents know exactly how their privacy is protected.

Even if you have plans for the data, it’s important to consider whether SOGI questions are needed for a valid reason. If there’s no clear use case for this data that will be tied to decisions, it may be best to skip SOGI altogether. 

Legal or regulatory restraints may apply to your specific study, and some subgroups are so small that re-identification risk is high, and you can’t safely aggregate this sensitive demographic information. If these issues are evident, be sure that you’re approaching your data collection with the goal of least harm. 

For more training and policy framing, the Human Rights Campaign tip sheet is a helpful primer, and the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) recommendations summarize federal expectations.

When you ask sexual orientation and gender identity questions with respect, separate the constructs, show your “why,” and protect respondents with smart privacy choices, the result is better data and better decisions. With these tips about survey questions on sexual orientation and gender identity, you’ll be able to collect the data you need while respecting your respondents’ privacy and identities.

Ready to put this into practice? Get started free with SurveyMonkey, browse our Question Bank for demographic items, and read our help guide on anonymous surveys to set your collectors the right way.