72
A national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization released a report Thursday that rates four Hawaii cities above the national average in LGBT inclusion in municipal law.
The Human Rights Campaign released the 2013 Municipal Equality Index, which rates 291 cities across the country on 47 criteria in six categories: non-discrimination laws; relationship recognition; municipality’s employment and contracting policies; inclusiveness of city services, law enforcement; and municipal leadership on equality issues.
The report evaluated 50 state capitals, the 150 most populous cities in the country and the three largest cities in every state.
The average score for all cities in the report was 57 points. Honolulu led the state with a score of 72. Manoa and Pearl City scored 64 while Hilo scored 61.
“Equality isn’t just for the coasts anymore,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “This groundbreaking report shows that cities and towns across the country, from Vicco, Kentucky to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, are leading the charge for basic fairness for LGBT people.”
