Providence again earns perfect score for LGBT policies

THE 2015 MUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX rated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in 408 cities across the country. / COURTESY HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
THE 2015 MUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX rated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in 408 cities across the country. / COURTESY HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN

(Updated 4:30 p.m.)
PROVIDENCE – Providence received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s fourth annual report assessing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in 408 cities across the country.
Providence also received a perfect score last year.

“I am proud of the work that our city has done to become a leader on LGBT issues,” Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza said in a statement. “From designating all-gender restrooms in city buildings to making our health care policy more inclusive, I am committed to sending a strong message that Providence welcomes and values all of its employees and residents, regardless of who they love or how they identify.”

Cranston, East Providence, Kingston (town of South Kingstown), Pawtucket and Warwick also were rated in the 2015 Municipal Equality Index. The average score for Rhode Island cities was 64 out of 100 points, above the national average of 56.

Cranston and Kingston scored the lowest at 48, while Pawtucket was next-highest at 67, followed by Warwick at 63 and East Providence at 60.
Eight cities were rated in Massachusetts, with three receiving perfect scores: Boston, Cambridge and Worcester. The average score for cities in Massachusetts was 80 out of 100 points.

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Provincetown scored 97, followed by Northampton at 85; Amherst with 64; Springfield, 53; and Lowell, 45.

The Municipal Equality Index rates LGBT inclusion in municipal law and policy.

“Across our country, cities and towns both big and small aren’t waiting for state or national leaders to move LGBT equality forward,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a statement. “Instead, these municipalities are taking action now to improve the lives of countless LGBT Americans. In what has been an historic year for equality, a record-breaking number of municipalities this year have earned top scores in our Municipal Equality Index for their inclusive treatment of their LGBT citizens and workers. They are making a powerful statement that no one should have to wait for full equality – the time is now.”

Said Rebecca Isaacs of the Equality Federation, “This year, an unprecedented wave of discriminatory legislation attempted to roll back our efforts for LGBT equality … The MEI is an important tool for our movement that illustrates our successes and the work ahead of us. We will not stop until all Americans have a fair opportunity to provide for themselves and their families, free from the scourge of discrimination.”

Cities researched for the 2015 MEI include the 50 state capitals, the 200 most populous cities in the country, the five largest cities in every state, the city home to the state’s two largest public universities, and an equal mix of 75 of the nation’s large, midsize and small municipalities with the highest proportion of same-sex couples.

This year’s MEI marks the largest number of 100-point scores in its history: Forty-seven cities earned perfect scores, an increase from 38 in 2014, 25 in 2013 and 11 in 2012, the MEI’s first year.

The MEI rates cities based on 41 criteria under five categories:

  • Nondiscrimination laws
  • Municipality employment policies, including transgender-inclusive insurance coverage, contracting nondiscrimination requirements and other policies relating to equal treatment of LGBT city employees
  • Inclusiveness of city services
  • Law enforcement
  • Municipal leadership on matters of equality

The Human Rights Campaign is the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization.

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