The Human Rights Campaign released the 2022 Municipal Equality Index, and Raleigh is on the list. How did we score?
Each year, the Human Rights Campaign releases a Municipal Equality Index which takes a deep dive into municipal laws, policies, and services and how inclusive they are of LGBTQ+ people. This year’s edition examined 506 cities on 49 different criteria across five categories — non-discrimination laws, municipality as employer, services and programs, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.
Based on these criteria, Raleigh earned a score of 85 out of 100. Not too shabby. Here’s a breakdown of how we got here… and how we can go even further.
Non-discrimination laws
This category looks at whether LGBTQ+ discrimination is prohibited by law in areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation. Raleigh achieved a 10 out of 30 for our laws across the state, county, and municipality.
Municipality as employer
Cities can achieve points for inclusive employment policies like trans-inclusive healthcare policies and non-discrimination in city employment. Raleigh got a 26 out of 28.
Services and programs
This section considers the city’s efforts to include LGBTQ+ folks in city services and programs. Raleigh scored 7 out of 12, but got bonus points for city-offered services to the transgender community and LGBTQ+ youth, older adults, and more.
Law enforcement
Looking at the relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community, Raleigh earned 22 out of 22.
Leadership on LGBTQ+ equality
This section looks at city leadership’s commitment to advocacy and inclusion. Raleigh got a 7 out of 8, but got bonus points for having openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed leaders.
Where we can improve
No city is perfect. Raleigh would achieve a higher score from the HRC with a few extra efforts. For example, either the state, county, or municipality could enact laws against housing discrimination.
If you want to get involved, here are some local organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community.
How do you think we could make our community more welcoming to all? Let us know.