2020 Mei Scorecard

TABLE OF CONTENTS Frequently Asked Questions An Introduction WHERE CAN I GET MORE DID YOU KNOW THAT Cities had an opportunity to review 4 Letter from Alphonso David, President of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation INFORMATION ABOUT THE ISN’T A CITY? the draft scorecard and offer any 5 Letter from Rebecca Isaacs, Executive Director of the Equality Federation Institute CITIES RATED? Yes. A few of the places rated in the feedback prior to publication. 6 Inclusivity Drives Economic Growth This booklet contains only a summary MEI are “census-designated places” of the scorecards for each of the 506 which are not incorporated as cities. CAN ONLY CITIES IN cities rated on the 2020 MEI. The In that case, we rated the local STATES WITH GOOD LAWS full scorecards are available online at incorporated government that actually GET GOOD SCORES? How It Works www.hrc.org/mei. serves that census-designated place, Definitely not. The MEI was which is usually the county. This is specifically designed to measure the 10 Cities Rated by the MEI HOW WERE THESE explained further on page 19. laws and policies of the municipality, 12 Executive Summary CITIES CHOSEN? not the state. While state law might 19 City Selection This year, the cities rated are: the 50 HOW ARE THE SCORES add to a city’s score, positive state 20 2020 MEI Scorecard state capitals, the 200 largest cities CALCULATED? law is not necessary for a city to 22 Scoring Criteria Parts I–II in the United States, the five largest Cities are rated on a scale of 0-100, score 100 points. 24 Issue Brief: Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia cities or municipalities in each state, based on the city’s laws, policies, 28 Scoring Criteria Part III the cities home to the state’s two benefits, and services. There are IS THIS A RANKING OF THE 30 Scoring Criteria Parts IV–V largest public universities (including 100 standard points and 22 flex BEST CITIES FOR LGBTQ 32 Issue Brief: Addressing Systemic Racism through Municipal Action 40 Acknowledging Context: undergraduate and graduate points (flex points are awarded for PEOPLE TO LIVE IN? • Not All Cities Are Created Equal enrollment), 75 cities & municipalities items which apply to some but not all No. This is not a ranking of a city’s • Fair Assessment Respects Legal Differences that have high proportions of same- cities). For more information on the atmosphere or quality of life. It is • Accounting for City Size sex couples (see page 19 for more scoring system, see pages 22-23, an evaluation of the city’s law and • Balancing State and Local Laws information) and 98 cities selected by 28, and 30-31. policies, and an examination of how inclusive city services are of • Understanding Restrictive State Law HRC and Equality Federation state • Effect of Enforcement and Lived Experience groups members and supporters. WHERE DID THE LGBTQ people. Some high-scoring INFORMATION FOR THESE cities may not feel truly welcoming WHY ISN’T WASHINGTON, SCORES COME FROM? for all LGBTQ people, and some D.C. RATED? low-scoring cities may feel more For an explanation as to why The MEI team conducted the welcoming than their policies What We Found research, compiled it into a draft Washington, D.C. is not included in might reflect. 50 Summary of Results scorecard, and sent the draft the MEI, please see page 19. 53 Self-Submit scorecard to the city for review. 56 Table of 2020 Scores 71 Acknowledgements Research Process The information reflected in this team to consider. Our team sent weeks. Finally, cities were sent their Success Stories publication was gathered by out a letter in March to mayors and final scorecards and information 17 Georgia Equality by Jeff Graham, Executive Director the MEI team and compiled into city managers notifying them that about the 2020 MEI in the same 18 Decatur, Georgia by Patti Garrett, Mayor draft scorecards using publicly their cities were being rated by way. Equality Federation state 27 Overland Park, Kansas by Carl Gerlack, Mayor available information. Cities were email and certified mail, followed groups also were able to review the 29 Tallahassee, Florida by John E. Dailey, Mayor then offered an opportunity to by a draft scorecard sent to the scorecards and provide feedback to review the scorecards, ask any mayors and city managers in June the MEI team prior to publication. questions, and submit any additional also via email and certified mail. information they wished the MEI The feedback window lasted six ©2020 by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation owns all right, title, and ISBN-13: 978-1-934765-57-9 interest in and to this publication and all derivative works thereof. Permission for reproduction and redistribution is granted if the publication is (1) reproduced in its entirety and (2) distributed free of charge. The Human Rights Campaign and the Equality logo are trademarks of the Human Rights Campaign. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and design incorporating the Equality logo are trademarks of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. IFC2 AN INTRODUCTION hrc.org/mei hrc.org/mei 1 AN INTRODUCTION 2 AN INTRODUCTION hrc.org/mei hrc.org/mei AN INTRODUCTION 3 Dear Friends Dear Readers are advancing LGBTQ equality not Bostock vs. Clayton County decision As the movement builder and strategic Equality Ohio and local partners only for their constituents but for their this summer, the Supreme Court partner to state-based organizations helped the city of Gambier pass a own employees. For the first time, made clear that discrimination on the advancing equality for LGBTQ people non-discrimination ordinance, making 179 of the cities we scored now offer basis of sexual orientation and gender in the communities we call home, it the 30th municipality in the state transgender-inclusive health benefits identity is prohibited under the federal Equality Federation is committed to our with fully inclusive protections. At to city employees. employment non-discrimination partnership with HRC on the Municipal the ballot, voters in Golf Manor voted law. While the Bostock decision is Equality Index. The scoring helps cities overwhelmingly to keep the LGBTQ- As we celebrate the progress made, monumental in the effect it will have on and advocates on the ground take stock inclusive non-discrimination ordinance we also must make real and explicit federal employment non-discrimination of their progress, marking important that their city council passed in commitments to continue the urgent law and beyond, it cannot be a steps forward to achieve equality for January of last year. work to address the fundamental replacement for continuing to ensure LGBTQ people and our families. injustices of our society. This past that cities and states treat LGBTQ Even in states with legislatures hostile year has been a stark and stinging people’s right to be free from For example, thanks to the leadership to our issues, cities and towns of reminder that racism, and its strategic discrimination in the same way as they of Equality Virginia and local advocates, every size are doing what they can This has truly been an objective, white supremacy, is as treat discrimination on the basis of It is difficult to capture all that Virginia became the first state in to positively impact the lives of their unprecedented year — a year with defining a characteristic of the other protected characteristics. Thus, has happened in 2020. A global the South to secure statewide non- LGBTQ residents, especially LGBTQ multiple crises that underscored American experience as those ideals we continue to call for the express pandemic changed the way we discrimination protections early this youth. Anchorage became the first city the gap between the best upon which we claim to hold our inclusion of sexual orientation and exist in the world. Protests moved year. This achievement created higher in Alaska to ban the harmful practice promises of equal justice in our democracy. It is incumbent on all of gender identity in state and municipal across the country against racial city scores throughout the state as the of conversion therapy, covering nearly nation and the lived experience us — including our municipal leaders non-discrimination protections. injustice. Transgender and gender number of LGBTQ people protected 40% of the state’s population. In Iowa, of millions facing fundamental — to address the ways in which our non-conforming people fought from discrimination skyrocketed. Kansas, and Kentucky, advocates injustices in our daily lives. While systems uphold white supremacy as In spite of all the challenges back against increased violence, were able to pass local ordinances we witnessed historic victories we transform these systems to truly municipalities have faced this year, especially against Black trans Every local win puts us one step banning conversion therapy for the for our community, we also saw serve all of us. This report lays out our top-scoring cities have remained women. The strength of our closer to full and lasting equality. From first time. OutFront Minnesota added how far ahead the north star recommendations for municipalities in key drivers of necessary progress and democracy was put to the test Florida to Kentucky to Michigan, state four more cities to its list of those of full equality remains. But how they can take concrete steps to greater inclusion. We are grateful for during an exhausting election groups helped secure local non- banning conversion therapy, covering as we grappled with the twin do precisely that. their commitment, as well as for the session. Yet, during a year unlike discrimination ordinances, bringing nearly 16% of the state’s population. pandemics of COVID-19 and racial undaunted advocacy and leadership of any other, I am heartened by the the number of municipalities with fully violence, our communities found We must also acknowledge how the our partners at the Equality Federation progress the LGBTQ state-based comprehensive non-discrimination As we celebrate our successes and resilience and solidarity in one systems of oppression — including Institute and statewide LGBTQ movement made to keep driving protections for LGBTQ people to over plan for the future, we thank our another.

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