Data collection is so far from neutral! I very unfortunately found this is 1000% the case with data on transphobic laws, if that interests you.
A modern example: Abbott's transphobic directive to DFPS is essentially unstudiable since they aren't even recording the investigations (investigators aren't even allowed to mention forced anti-trans investigations in emails or phone calls).
A historic example: only one of the many cities that had masquerade/anti-crossdressing laws in the 1900s seems to have recorded how many people were arrested under the law... And even then, the genders of those arrested is unreliable (for misgendering reasons) and other important information (such as the ethnicity and race of those arrested) is entirely absent.
You know that does interest me! That's so interesting, especially when it comes to measuring impact — there's no way to see if they have the intended effect, but also no way to prove they *aren't* working either. And not having that evidence is powerful.
Thanks for sharing Bella — I'm going to run down a rabbit hole about this later this week, I can feel it.
Data collection is so far from neutral! I very unfortunately found this is 1000% the case with data on transphobic laws, if that interests you.
A modern example: Abbott's transphobic directive to DFPS is essentially unstudiable since they aren't even recording the investigations (investigators aren't even allowed to mention forced anti-trans investigations in emails or phone calls).
A historic example: only one of the many cities that had masquerade/anti-crossdressing laws in the 1900s seems to have recorded how many people were arrested under the law... And even then, the genders of those arrested is unreliable (for misgendering reasons) and other important information (such as the ethnicity and race of those arrested) is entirely absent.
You know that does interest me! That's so interesting, especially when it comes to measuring impact — there's no way to see if they have the intended effect, but also no way to prove they *aren't* working either. And not having that evidence is powerful.
Thanks for sharing Bella — I'm going to run down a rabbit hole about this later this week, I can feel it.