Since its inception in 2012, the Municipal Equality Index (MEI) published by Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has been a beacon to anyone looking for a safe and inclusive place to live. The talented editors at HRC comb the country, looking at (almost) every city in every state. They determine if they have the right mix of statutory protections and municipal support to treat our community fairly. Keep reading to see why Tucson Score a Perfect 100 Equality Score in 2020!
How Did Tucson Score a Perfect 100 Equality Score?
HRC has created a breakdown to thoroughly examine how fair and just a city will be to its citizens. They look at 5 distinct categories:
Non-Discrimination Laws
This category looks at the statutory protections that shield citizens from discrimination. Tucson, with its long history of legal protections for our LGBT community, destroyed this category. Scoring a perfect 30 out of 30. We even received extra credit points for protecting our youth from the scourge of conversion therapy.
Municipality as Employer
When looking at the municipality as an employer, HRC examines the benefits offered to all employees. It looks at what steps the city is taking so it can ensure an inclusive workplace. Unfortunately, Tucson needs to shore up its policies governing an inclusive workplace. We only received a 26 out of 28 in this category.
Municipal Services
Now HRC looks at how the city works to include LGBTQ constituents in municipal services and programs. Our lack of an LGBTQ Liason within the City Executive Council means we only scored 7 out of 12 in this category. Thankfully, because of Tucson’s commitment to directed services for the LGBTQ community afforded it a whopping 6 extra credit points!
Law Enforcement
To earn a perfect score in this category, a city must show responsible reporting of hate crime statistics and community engagement with law enforcement officers. So Tucson rings the bell on all counts and scored a perfect 22 out of 22 in the category.
Leadership on LGBTQ Equlity
Finally, HRC evaluates the cities leadership, specifically looking at LGBTQ inclusion and advocacy. Once again, Tucson’s commitment shine through as we scored a perfect 8 out of 8 in this metric as well!
Tony Ray Baker
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Tony Ray
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Tony Ray Baker, Realtor®: TonyRay@GayTucson.com
Licensed Real Estate agent in Tucson Arizona with RE/MAX Select
