Local Communities Rated on LGBT Equality

 Posted on December 10, 2014 in Family Law

There are many organizations dedicated to advocating for social equality among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. This plight often includes the voiced need for legal equality on the local, state, and federal levels. While many areas of the law may be relevant to the fight for equality among the LGBT community, the area of

Municipal Equality Index Report

The Human Rights Campaign is responsible for releasing an annual report called the Municipal Equality Index report, which ranks cities across the country based on a number of factors relating to their laws and policies on LGBT equality. It is the only such nationwide rating system in existence. The index included several local communities to the Chicago area. The rankings take different factors into account and base cities’ scores on a 100-point system. These factors fall into six larger categories: non-discrimination laws, relationship recognition, employment policies (including insurance coverage related to transgender individuals, having non-discrimination requirements in place when contracting, and other policies geared toward equal treatment of LGBT city employees), inclusiveness of city services, the city’s law enforcement procedures, and municipal leadership on issues of equality.

The national average for cities included in the study was 59 out of 100. Illinois scored 69 out of 100 based on state laws. Local communities scored the following: Chicago scored 100 out of 100, Springfield 76 out of 100, Champaign 70 out of 100, Joliet 63, Aurora 61, Naperville 59, and Rockford 57 out of a possible 100 points.

One factor that the study took into account was a city’s relationship with the LGBT community. This included looking at the city leader’s commitment toward inclusion of the LGBT community and the ways in which they advocate for equality. In some of the local cities mentioned above, representatives from respective LGBT communities said they feel ignored in local politics. Specifically, transgender individuals still face much discrimination even in the face of same sex couples gaining equal rights in many areas of the law.

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