All for one and one for all: Three Arizona cities get perfect scores in LGBT equality
Dec 18, 2015, 8:40 PM
PHOENIX — Three Arizona cities scored perfect scores in equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender residents, according to a recent Human Rights Campaign report.
Phoenix, Tempe and Tucson all scored a perfect 100 in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index report.
This was Phoenix’s third year in a row reaching a perfect score on the report, according to Mayor Greg Stanton.
The cities were scored in several different categories: Non-discrimination laws, municipality as employer, municipal services, law enforcement and relationship with the LGBT community.
The report scored non-discrimination laws for housing, employment and public accommodations, ranking all three cities a perfect 5 out of 5 in all categories.
The municipality as employer category ranked the cities in non-discrimination in city employment, transgender-inclusive health care benefits and a city contractor non-discrimination ordinance. Not one city scored points for transgender-inclusive health care benefits.
All cities received perfect scores for having a human rights commission and providing services for LGBT youth, homeless and elderly.
Each city recieved full points for reporting hate crime statistics to the FBI in 2013.
Under the relationship with the LGBT community, all cities failed in receiving bonus points for being pro-equality despite a “restrictive state law.”
Other Arizona cities that were scored were Chandler with 63 points, Gilbert with 30 points, Glendale with 29 points, Mesa with 50 points, Peoria with 38 points and Scottsdale with 51 points.
