HRC Releases LGBT Municipal Equality Index

[Carolyn Marie]

I have no idea about the validity of the Index, but its interesting to read. I didn't read all the scores, but Baton Rouge stood out with a 7.

http://www.hrc.org/campaigns/municipal-equality-index

Carolyn Marie

[Guest KimberlyF]

It's interesting how they grade cities on an easier playing field than they grade big business.

[VickySGV]

Cities are as much the victims as the beneficiaries of State Laws and cannot be made equivalent to private sector businesses. I found the city on the list closest to me, and with my experience of Public Agency employment laws, is what they say it is. I was a fully trained personnel administrator in CA Civil Service and know the part the Governor and Executive branches of the state worked as far as LGBT benefits and work conditions. Without State leadership, cities flounder and reflect ONLY what the local community will grudgingly hand over.

The differences I see in the ratings are pragmatic and not a matter of being easy on municipalities.

Corporations do have more chances to get it right or wrong, since they are "for profit" and profit is the motive, a subtle difference from getting pushed around by neighbors who hate to pay taxes.

[Guest KimberlyF]

I'm not aware of a single state law that prevents a city from providing healthcare for Trans employees. One push for businesses was that it would only cost pennies per policy. Currently Fortune 500 companies who answer to greedy shareholders are 5 times more likely to cover as the cities listed.

Only 5 cities got a perfect score without bonus points I believe. Long Beach, San Fran, New Haven, Seattle and Philly. Only 3 of those perfect scores cover health care.

What does HRC think the criteria of a perfect score can make happen?

http://www.hrc.org/press-releases/entry/decade-of-progress-in-workplace-equality-chronicled-in-hrcs-2012-cei

"The greatest strides have come in area of transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage. As a result of new criteria instituted by HRC this year that is a requisite to a perfect score, companies offering comprehensive healthcare coverage to their transgender workers has increased to 207 from 85 last year and 49 in 2009."

Healthcare coverage from cities is bonus points from HRC worth 4 points. You can miss 20 and still get a perfect score.

I was a fully trained personnel administrator in CA Civil Service and know the part the Governor and Executive branches of the state worked as far as LGBT benefits and work conditions. Without State leadership, cities flounder and reflect ONLY what the local community will grudgingly hand over.

Like Atlanta, for example? It only got it's 100 because of the hard work on LGBT issues on the state level?

[Guest Mia J]

Denver got something like a 99 which is very good. Wonder how this would change if the political climate changed here.

Mia

[VickySGV]

Kim -- For good research here in CA, look up Service Employees International Union (SEIU) which does the health care bargaining for State and Municipal employees. The contracts are administered by the Public Employee's Retirement System. These employees here are covered by collective bargaining and the state does not unilaterally enact benefits under the Union Contract. Some cities, such as SF and Long Beach do have their own Union bargaining contracts and their own retirement systems, and both of those cities DO have large groups of represented TG wage slaves. If I were under 65, and were NOT a non-represented supervisory manager ( I was) then the contract and state law both came through effective Jan 01 of this year for GCS. The non-represented employees will catch up next year or ?????, but it is a long slow train ride. The Union angle in some areas is one kicker that most people do not think of. I know that is a bit simple there, but I have to go do some grocery shopping and could really write a book. I actually have three old union contracts on a CD I accidentally left at the house here when I retired.

[Guest DianeATL]

It is interesting that Atlanta got a 100 and DeKalb county (which includes Decatur, a heavily gay populated local) got a 15. That is quite a spread for only a 5-10 miles difference of location.

Overall, I think Atlanta is pretty inclusive for the LGBTQ population. There is certainly a significant presence here and other than the badly botched Eagle raid a few years back, I think the public employees including law enforcement tend to treat us with respect. A CD friend of mine got pulled over by the state patrol while dressed and he addressed her as Ma'am and gave her no special treatment one way or another.

Diane

[JJ]

The highest score in my state was 46 for a university town. Most were in the teens with Little Rock the next highest at a whopping 21. And they are considered to be a hot bed of liberals by the standards of the area where I actually live. Why am I not surprised.

However almost any place we hope to be able to relocate in a few years will be a vast improvement.

Johnny