CT Cities Above Average in Pursuing Equal Rights for LGBT Residents, Led by New Haven, Stamford

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, has released its fourth annual report assessing LGBT equality in 408 cities across the nation, including seven in Connecticut. The average score for cities in Connecticut is 74 out of 100 points, above the national average of 56. The 2015 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBT inclusion in municipal law and policy, shows that cities across the country, including in Connecticut, continue to take the lead in supporting LGBT people and workers, even when states and the federal government have not.

Connecticut’s municipal scores are: New Haven: 99, Stamford: 91, Hartford: 91, Waterbury: 70, New Britain: 63, Storrs (Mansfield): 54, and Bridgeport: 51.  Across the country, 47 cities earned perfect 100-point scores, up from 38 in 2014, 25 in 2013 and 11 in 2012, the first year of the MEI. This year’s MEI marks the largest number of 100-point scores in its history.  Stamford scored the biggest jump in Connecticut from last year's analysis, advancing nearly 30 points while four other Connecticut cities also included last year earned similar scores in 2015.

For LGBT Americans, legal protections and benefits vary widely from state to state, and city to city. The MEI rates cities based on 41 criteria falling under five broad categories:

• Non-discrimination laws
• Municipality’s employment policies, including transgender-inclusive insurance coverage, contracting non-discrimination requirements, and other policies relating to equal treatment of LGBT city employees
• Inclusiveness of city services
• Law enforcement
• Municipal leadership on matters of equality

The review indicates that in 31 states, LGBT people are still at risk of being fired, denied housing or refused service because of who they are, and who they love. The lack of legal protection in many states is driving the HRC effort to pass the Equality Act, which would extend nationwide non-discrimination protections to LGBT Americans. Officials say that the MEI is a crucial tool in evaluating the patchwork of LGBT policies and practices in cities and towns across the nation.

New Haven received an initial score of 94, before receiving 5 bonus points for municipal services and being a “welcoming place to work.”  The Elm City earned perfect scores in 4 of the 5 categories - for non-discrimination laws, municipal services, law enforcement and the relationship with the LGBT community.  Hartford earned a perfect score in three categories, but fell short in “law enforcement” and “municipality as an employer”.  The city has an initial score of 84, before receiving 7 bonus points, for providing services to LGBT elderly, youth, homeless, and people living with HIV/AIDS. 

Bridgeport earned a perfect score in one category, non-discrimination laws, but a 0 in the “municipality as employer” category.  The city did, however, receive 2 bonus points for being a “welcoming place to work.”

In 2014, the MEI included only five cities in Connecticut – Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Storrs (Mansfield). Stamford jumped 29 points in a year, while New Haven and Hartford each lost a point between last year and this year’s survey.  Bridgeport and Storrs also dropped slightly in the new ratings. The scores last year:  New Haven: 100, Hartford: 92, Stamford: 62, Storrs 59, Bridgeport: 57. Stamford’s much higher rating was driven by three categories: non-discrimination laws, where the score moved from 18 to 30, relationship with the LGBT community, which increased from 2 to 8 and also picked up 7 bonus points, and municipal services, which increased from 10 to 16.

“Across our country, cities and towns both big and small aren’t waiting for state or national leaders to move LGBT equality forward,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Instead, these municipalities are taking action now to improve the lives of countless LGBT Americans. In what has been an historic year for equality, a record-breaking number of municipalities this year have earned top scores in our Municipal Equality Index for their inclusive treatment of their LGBT citizens and workers. They are making a powerful statement that no one should have to wait for full equality - the time is now.”

Key findings contained in the MEI, issued in partnership with the Equality Federation, provide a revealing snapshot of LGBT equality in 408 municipalities of varying sizes, and from every state in the nation. The cities researched for the 2015 MEI include the 50 state capitals, the 200 most populous cities in the country, the five largest cities in every state, the city home to the state’s two largest public universities, and an equal mix of 75 of the nation’s large, mid-size and small municipalities with the highest proportion of same-sex couples.

"This year, an unprecedented wave of discriminatory legislation attempted to roll-back our efforts for LGBT equality,” said Rebecca Isaacs of the Equality Federation. “Despite that challenge, over 20 towns and municipalities passed non-discrimination ordinances, some in the most unexpected places. These wins, along with historic LGBT visibility, speak to the tenacity of our advocates all across the country, many of whom donate their time to achieve fairness and equality. The MEI is an important tool for our movement that illustrates our successes and the work ahead of us. We will not stop until all Americans have a fair opportunity to provide for themselves and their families, free from the scourge of discrimination."

The 2015 MEI revealed that 32 million people now live in cities that have more comprehensive, transgender inclusive non-discrimination laws than their state or the federal government. Cities with a higher proportion of same-sex couples tended to score better, officials said, and the presence of openly-LGBT city officials and LGBT police liaisons also were correlated with higher scores.  The average city score was 56 points, with half of the cities researched scoring over 61 points. Eleven percent scored 100 points; 25 percent scored over 77 points; 25 percent scored under 31 points; and five percent scored fewer than 10 points.

At the state level, earlier this year, the Connecticut legislature approved a new law ensuring that transgender people can change their birth certificates to reflect their correct name and gender without unnecessarily expensive and invasive obstacles. The new law simplifies the process by empowering transgender people to change their birth certificate by providing a statement of appropriate treatment by a healthcare provider.  It took effect on October 1.  Similar laws have been approved in Hawaii, California, Iowa, New York and Vermont.

The full Human Rights Campaign report, including detailed scorecards for every city, as well as a searchable database, is available online at www.hrc.org/mei.

Municipal Equality Index Finds CT Above Average for LGBT Residents

Connecticut cities continue to rank above-average when compared with municipalities across the country in the level of equality provided to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) residents.  Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, Stamford and Storrs (Mansfield) were the five Connecticut municipalities included by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, in an assessment of LGBT equality in 353 cities across the nation.

The 2014 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of LGBT inclusion in municipal law and policy, shows that cities across the country, including in Connecticut, continue to take the lead in supporting LGBT people and workers, even when states and the federal government have not.

The average score for the five municipalities in Connecticut was 74 out of 100 points, comfortably above the national average of 59.  The individual scores in Connecticut, largely unchanged from a year ago, were New Haven: 100, Hartford: 92, Stamford: 62, Storrs (Mansfield): 59, and Bridgeport: 57.  The scores earned by Hartford and Bridgeport dropped slightly from a year ago, and New Haven scored at 100 for the second consecutive year.  Because of changes in the legal landscape from year to year, the MEI report has revised the scoring assessment criteria, which has impacted scores in some municipalities.

Cities are rated on a scale of 0-100, based on the city’s laws, policies, benefits, and services. Key findings contained in the 70-page MEI report, issued in partnership with the Equality Federation, provide “a revealing snapshot of LGBT equality in municipalities of varying sizes, and from every state in the nation,” the report noted.

The MEI rates cities based on 47 criteria falling under six broad categories:

• Non-discrimination laws
• Relationship recognition
• Municipality’s employment policies, including transgender-inclusive insurance coverage, contracting non-discrimination requirements, and other policies relating to equal treatment of LGBT city employees
• Inclusiveness of city services
• Law enforcement
• Municipal leadership on matters of equality

The cities researched for the 2014 MEI include the 50 state capitals, the 200 most populous cities in the country, 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 report found that “momentum for municipal equality is not a coastal trend or mega-urban phenomenon – it is something cities of all sizes in all parts of the country are doing because the people in those cities demand equality of treatment for all.”  Cities had an opportunity to review the draft scorecard and offer feedback prior to publication.

Equality and Economic Development

The report also indicates that “a growing body of research has shown that cities that have vibrant gay and lesbian communities have higher levels of income, life satisfaction, housing values, and emotional attachment to their community as well as higher concentrations of high-tech business. The Fortune 500 has long recognized that top talent is attracted to inclusiveness. In fact, the private sector has been using fair workplaces as a tool to recruit and retain top talent.”

The report adds that “Businesses will increasingly have to evaluate the legal landscape offered by a potential new location in its calculation of where to expand operations.”  Connecticut’s state laws – such as marriage equity and non-discrimination protections – provide a hospitable environment for its cities to employ equitable practices, officials said, but municipalities also have the capacity to take the lead, in Connecticut and elsewhere.  In ten states, cities fare well despite restrictive state laws.

“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 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.”

According to the report, the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Western regions of the United States – where marriage equality states have predominated – tend to do better than the national average when it comes to municipal equality. The reported pointed out, however, that every region has at least one 100-point city, such as New Haven. For example, in the Southeast, Florida boasts three 100-point scores, and Atlanta repeats its perfect score again in 2014; in the Southwest, Austin repeats its perfect score; and in the Plains, Iowa City joins two perfect scores in Missouri with St. Louis and Kansas City.

Thirty-eight cities earned perfect 100-point scores, up from 25 in 2013 and 11 in 2012, the first year of the MEI. New Haven earned a 100-point score, helping to set a standard of LGBT inclusiveness with exemplary policies ranging from non-discrimination laws and equal employee benefits, to cutting edge city services.

Among the report’s striking findings:  A dramatic increase in the number of cities offering transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits, and the fact that 32 million people have better protections from discrimination on the basis of gender identity at the local level then they do from state law. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/mei.