Dallas received a perfect score this year on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual report evaluating cities for their “LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy and services.” Fort Worth also got flawless marks, joining the 68 cities (out of 506) that the Human Rights Campaign singles out for praise for adopting nondiscrimination laws, offering equal benefits to LGBT employees and their families, reporting hate crimes and encouraging meaningful police interaction with the LGBT community, and promoting other services for LGBT residents.
Some North Texas suburbs fared more poorly. In a few cases, much more poorly. The local scorecard, with full reports at the other end of these hyperlinks:
- Dallas: 100
- Fort Worth: 100
- Grand Prairie: 24
- Denton: 44
- Arlington: 44
- Mesquite: 21
- McKinney: 18
- Plano: 74
- Irving: 6
The report makes a point of highlighting the economic benefits for cities that implement inclusive policies, along with the obvious social benefits of fairness, justice, and equality. Here’s HRC President Chad Griffin, introducing the report.
“Today, the MEI (Municipal Equality Index) serves as a vital tool for business leaders and municipal officials alike when it comes to economic development. CEOs know that in order to attract and retain the best employees, they must grow their companies in places that protect LGBTQ citizens from discrimination and actively open their doors to all communities. The MEI is the best tool to help these businesses make crucial evaluations about the welcoming — or unwelcoming — nature of towns and cities across the nation.”
It’s something to keep in mind as Dallas-Fort Worth crosses its fingers for Amazon’s HQ2, and to think about every time state lawmakers start talking about bathrooms.
