When it comes to granting civil rights for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, Tampa and St. Petersburg are two of the state’s leaders, according to a new report by the Human Rights Campaign.
The 2014 Municipal Equality Index is produced by the gay rights advocacy group, and is the only nationwide rating system of LGBT inclusion in municipal law and policy, according to a release. Tampa scored a 97 in the index, while St. Petersburg is 100.
“From Mississippi to Idaho, mid-size cities and small towns have become the single greatest engine of progress for LGBT equality — changing countless lives for the better,” said HRC president Chad Griffin, in a release. “In just three years, the number of municipalities earning top marks for their treatment of LGBT citizens has more than tripled. Simply put, in this country there is an ongoing race to the top to treat all people, including LGBT people, fairly under the law, and it’s time our state and federal laws caught up.”
Tampa earned top marks in areas like the passage of non-discrimination laws, relationship recognition, municipal services, law enforcement, and the city’s overall relationship with the LGBT community. However, Tampa did stumble a little when it came to the municipality as an employer, since the city does not have transgender-inclusive health care benefits, or requirements of equality policies from contractors working with the city.
The city received bonus points, however, for having openly elected or appointed LGBT municipal leaders, and for encouraging an inclusive workplace.
Florida scored 65 out of 100 points as a whole, above the national average of 59. Other areas scoring as high as Tampa and St. Pete were Orlando (100) and Wilton Manors (100). Finishing low, however, were Port St. Lucie (14) and Cape Coral (22).
“In many municipalities, local leaders are taking important steps to provide LGBT people with the protections and security not available at the state or federal level,” said Rebecca Issacs, executive director of Equality Federation, in a release. “And because of this leadership, many cities and countries are emerging as welcoming communities where LGBT people are treated with the dignity and respect they’ve always deserved.”
Cities researched for the index include 50 state capitals, the 200 most populous cities in the country, and the four largest cities in every state, the city home to each state’s largest public university, and an equal mix of 75 of the nation’s large, mid-size and small municipalities with the highest proportion of same-sex couples.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization, according to the organization’s description, working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.
