A Senator Fights to Solve the Mystery of COVID-19’s Effect on LGBTQ People

What is the impact of COVID-19 on LGBTQ folks in the state of California?  No one knows. The state currently collects data on COVID-19 based on race/ethnicity, age, gender and other demographic information. But not on sexual orientation or gender identity. One state senator is seeking to change that fact… and he is our guest today. Senator Scott Wiener is in the house! Senator Wiener represents San Francisco and northern San Mateo County in the California State Senate. Before being elected to the Senate, Senator Wiener served as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, representing the district previously represented by Harvey Milk. He also served in a number of community leadership roles, including co-chair of the San Francisco LGBT Community Center and on the national Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign.   His newly introduced legislation would require California to collect data on the health impacts of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ community, including infection, hospitalization, ICU, recovery, and mortality rates. If enacted, we would then understand the impacts of the pandemic on LGBTQ people. This would be the first legislation of its kind to compel a state government to collect this information; currently, neither the federal government nor any of the 50 states are doing so. We will find out all about the COVID-19 effects and other LGBTQ issues. With co-host Brody Levesque.