Thanks for your interest in our data! MAP tracks over 50 LGBTQ-related laws and policies via our Equality Maps and LGBTQ State Policy Scores. Our maps and data are updated in real time – meaning that as new laws pass, we will update the maps and include the new laws in the scoring and citation/references sheet available for each map.
For more on how the scores are created, please visit our Equality Maps FAQ and related methodology.
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What does the LGBTQ Policy Score include?
The LGBTQ Policy Score is a summary measure across 50+ LGBTQ-related laws and policies currently on the books in each state. MAP tracks these policies across all 50 states, the District of Columbia (D.C.), and the five U.S. territories. The major categories of laws covered by the policy tally include: Relationship & Parental Recognition, Nondiscrimination, Religious Exemptions, LGBTQ Youth, Health Care, Criminal Justice, and Identity Documents.
It is important to note that the policy score only looks at existing laws and policies and is therefore only one measure of LGBTQ equality and experiences. The scores and maps do not reflect active legislation that has been proposed but not passed, nor does it reflect social climate, public opinion, the efforts of advocates to prevent further negative laws from happening, or the opportunities for future change.
For more on how the scores are created, please visit our Equality Maps FAQ and related methodology.
What does the LGBTQ Policy Score not include?
The LGBTQ Policy Score is a summary measure across 50+ LGBTQ-related laws and policies currently on the books in each state. While it is an excellent and robust measure of a state’s current LGBTQ policy environment across a wide range of issues, the policy score only looks at existing laws and policies and is therefore only one measure of LGBTQ equality and experiences. The policy score does not necessarily reflect the entire political or social landscape for LGBTQ people.
- Number of LGBTQ policies: While we currently track 50+ LGBTQ laws and policies, these are not all the laws and policies shaping LGBTQ people’s lives. We regularly add new policies to our tracking to further improve this measure. If you have suggestions for LGBTQ policies to include in our tracking, please email us at info@mapresearch.org.
- Non-policy factors: This measure does not reflect bills that have been proposed but not passed; a state’s social climate or public opinion; the efforts of LGBTQ advocates in the state; and other non-policy-related factors that also shape LGBTQ people’s experiences.
- Non-LGBTQ policy: The LGBTQ Policy Score only focuses on LGBTQ-related policy measures, but an LGBTQ person’s experiences are shaped by many kinds of policy not necessarily included here, such as policy focusing on racial justice, economic security, reproductive health care, and more.
- Snapshot in time: The LGBTQ Policy Score provides only a current-moment snapshot of a state’s policy environment. This does not reflect a state’s potential improvement (or decline) over time, or how a state’s policies might change in the future. States with low scores might shift rapidly with an influx of resources, and states with higher scores may either backslide with a new wave of anti-LGBTQ efforts or continue to expand equality for LGBTQ people in ways that can provide models for other states.
What MAP data are or are not available?
Our Equality Maps data are always available online and updated in real-time. MAP’s website is always the most up-to-date version of our data.
Additionally, every map has a corresponding factsheet that includes citations, direct sources, and more detail, often including historical information. View the “Citations” tab on the corresponding map to access these factsheets.
For Equality Maps data, please visit our deposits at the University of Michigan’s ICPSR data repositories. In particular, deposit ICPSR 37877 provides data covering roughly 40 LGBTQ laws and policies as they were in 2010 and 2020, allowing for analysis of policy change over that decade.
Our Equality Maps and LGBTQ Policy Scores focus on the current landscape of laws and policies, rather than histories of these laws. As a result, our historical archives are more limited. While we have tracked LGBTQ policies since 2006, we did not start creating the LGBTQ Policy Scores until mid-2015.
Do I have to pay to access MAP’s data?
We value accessibility, transparency, and collaboration in research and beyond. You do not have to pay to access our data. However, we are a very small, nonprofit team with limited resources and capacity, and financial contributions—whether as a donation or more formal contribution (e.g., as part of an academic research grant)—help us continue to do this work. If we can provide the data you request, we will likely ask if you have any funding available to support this request. We can work with you to meet grant-specific or other administrative requirements, such as writing formal letters of support or providing an invoice.
How do I request MAP’s data?
Before making a formal request for MAP’s data, we recommend taking the following steps:
- Visit our Equality Maps and corresponding citation sheets.
- Visit our deposits at the University of Michigan’s ICPSR data repositories. In particular, deposit ICPSR 37877 provides data covering roughly 40 LGBTQ laws and policies as they were in 2010 and 2020, allowing for analysis of policy changes over the decade.
- If the above ICPSR deposit(s), our maps, or our citation factsheets do not have the information you are looking for, please also try The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine! You can use this site to find archived versions of our website (and many other websites) over time. This can help answer historical questions and much more.
If you have reviewed the above resources and still need to speak with the MAP team, please complete the form below.
Please note that response times vary and we may be especially slow to respond in the first half of the calendar year during state legislative sessions. In addition, request fulfillment is up to the discretion of our team, and some data may not be available (e.g., historical data).
