Little Rock, Arkansas – A new edition of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Municipal Equality Index has been launched, coinciding with an increase in state-level attacks against LGBTQ populations nationwide.
According to a release, the national study was a joint effort by the social justice advocacy organizations Equality Federation and Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
According to research, Arkansas cities’ LGBTQ community policies rated lower than the national average.
The study focuses on topics like local laws, regulations, and services. Eight towns and cities in Arkansas were assessed.
“These municipal efforts demonstrate that our local leaders understand the value of inclusion and are leading the charge on LGBTQ equality in a state where progress can feel hard-won,” said Antoine Ghoston of the Arkansas Black Gay Men’s Forum. “The goal of this effort is to create inviting, safe environments where everyone can flourish, not only to implement policies. Municipalities set an example for the state when they give LGBTQ persons’ rights and protections first priority. In order to make sure that Arkansas keeps moving forward—city by city, step by step—in the direction of real fairness and opportunity for all, our Forum is dedicated to supporting these initiatives and collaborating with local governments.”
Eight of the cities mentioned below scored in their natural state:
• Conway: 26
• Eureka Springs: 48
• Fayetteville: 41
• Fort Smith: 28
• Jonesboro: 0
• Little Rock: 47
• North Little Rock: 0
• Springdale: 12
In the United States, just six of 200 cities received zero scores. Arkansas contains two of those cities. According to the survey, 130 communities nationwide achieved a flawless score, setting a new record.
According to HRC, state laws and regulations affect transgender people, particularly trans youth. But there has been progress.
More over 25% of the cities polled, or 130 cities, received the highest possible score in this year’s index.
According to Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign, “the Municipal Equality Index has worked with cities and towns in all parts of the country, in all fifty states, to advance the fight for lived & legal equality for more than ten years.”
For LBGTQ+ people, building community isn’t just a phrase, it’s a way of life. In many important ways, local politics shapes our lives just as much as state or national politics does. Mayors and city councilors who take LGBTQ+ inclusion seriously build stronger communities, and in turn their cities thrive.
