The Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index is out and Orlando did pretty well for itself. The organization’s MEI score represents how inclusive a city’s laws, policies and services are for the LGBTQ people who live and work there.
The City Beautiful ranked with a perfect score of 100 yet again. Orlando has scored the top score the three previous years as well. The HRC rates a city’s equality based on five categories: Non-Discrimination Laws, Municipality as Employer, Municipal Services, Law Enforcement and finally Relations with the LGBTQ Community.
Other cities in Watermark’s coverage area varied in their scores. St Petersburg joins Orlando in 100 club, while Tampa is a bit under the mark with an 86. Daytona Beach, on the other hand, fares pretty poorly. They are dead last of all ranked Florida cities with a 30.
HRC rated a total of 20 Florida cities (18 they selected and two – West Palm Beach and Miami Beach – who self submitted). Orlando and St. Pete are joined by Wilton Manors, West Palm Beach, Miami Beach and the state capitol Tallahassee with perfect scores of 100. Daytona Beach is being kept company at the bottom of the barrel with Cape Coral and Port Saint Lucie.
Five hundred six U.S. municipalities were measured for this year’s MEI, including all 50 state capitals. The last time Orlando scored below a perfect 100 was in 2013 when it scored a 79.
