PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland is regarded as one of the most inclusive cities for LGBTQ+ Americans, according to the U.S.’s biggest LGBTQ+ advocacy and civil rights organization.
Human Rights Campaign released its 11th annual Municipal Equality Index toward the end of 2022. The latest index sets out to advise city stakeholders, including business leaders and policy-makers, of whether their services and laws show support for LGBTQ+ residents.
The MEI focuses on five categories: non-discrimination laws, municipality as employer, services and programs, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. Of the 506 cities evaluated, 118 cities received the best-possible score of 100 points.
Portland was one of those cities, securing a perfect score in four of the five categories, not including the one that focuses on municipal services.
However, the Rose City did earn additional “flex points” for some metrics, such as electing or appointing openly-LGBTQ+ officials and having single-occupant, all-gender restrooms.
Portland was one of eight Oregon cities included in the report. Eugene also received the best-possible score of 100 points, but Salem followed closely after with 90.
Ashland, Hillsboro, Bend, Corvallis and Gresham’s LGBTQ+ inclusivity scores ranged from 53 to 70 points overall. These Oregon cities join many places across the country that still have strides to make in LGBTQ+ advocacy.
HRC cited book bans and school policies against “queer and trans identities” as two acts of discrimination that the U.S. LGBTQ+ community has faced in recent years, but the list goes on to include the gay nightclub shooting in Colorado, ‘homophobic slurs’ from a Congresswoman and, on a more local level, a protest against a drag queen story-time in Eugene.
“As we look to 2023, we will continue to rise to the challenges we face in achieving nationwide policy victories,” Equality Federation Institute Executive Director Fran Hutchins said. “But we know the work of state and local advocates will continue to provide much-needed protections for LGBTQ+ people in the place it matters most: home.”