Pride or Prejudice? See Columbus’ recently-released LGBTQ equality score

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, in partnership with the Equality Federation Institute, released its eighth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), assessing LGBTQ equality in 506 cities across the nation, including eight in Ohio.

The Municipal Equality Index, the only nationwide assessment of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law and policy, shows that cities across the country, including in Ohio, continue to take the lead in supporting LGBTQ people and workers.

The average score for cities in Ohio is 90 out of 100 points, which falls above the national average of 60.

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“This year’s Municipal Equality Index shows that across the country, city leaders are working tirelessly to ensure that their constituents can secure housing, make a living and participate in community life without being discriminated against because of who they are,” HRC President Alphonso David said in a statement.

The MEI rated 506 cities including the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the U.S., the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, the cities home to the state’s two largest public universities, 75 municipalities that have high proportions of same-sex couples and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation state group members and supporters. It assesses each city on 49 criteria covering citywide non-discrimination protections, policies for municipal employees, city services, law enforcement and the city’s leadership on LGBTQ equality.

The full report, including detailed scorecards for every city, as well as a searchable database, is available online at www.hrc.org/mei.

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