Chula Vista along with several cities in San Diego county were named among the best places with municipal law and policy for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer inclusion.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Municipal Equality Index graded 110 cities out of 506 nationwide with top scores of 100. The index examines laws, policies and services of municipalities and rates them based on the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there.
San Diego and Oceanside are both municipalities with openly LGBTQ+ elected officials who gained points by offering domestic partner benefits and providing services to youth and older adults.
“In 2021, we experienced a legislative session that focused on attacking transgender young people through proposed laws that would exclude them from participating in school activities such as sports and receiving life-saving medical care, all while living through an ongoing pandemic and fighting off direct attacks on our democracy. Yet, during this difficult year, I am heartened by the progress the LGBTQ+ state-based movement made to keep driving progress forward at the local level,” Equality Federation Institute Executive Director Fran Hutchins said.
Chula Vista received total final scores of 100 with perfect scores in non-discrimination laws and law enforcement. Escondido was graded with an index score of 60 due to their municipal services and leadership.
The highlighted categories made in the report are protection of youth from conversion therapy, non-discrimination in city employment, workplace inclusivity, availability of transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits and LGBTQ+ liaisons in the city’s executive office and police department.
“Over the past 10 years, we’ve realized important progress for the LGBTQ+ community, including significant steps towards equality under the law as well as broader societal visibility and support,” Interim President of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Joni Madison said.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for LGBTQ Americans. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Municipal Equality Index, the nation’s benchmarking tool for municipal officials, policy makers and business leaders to understand how well cities across the nation are embodying LGBTQ+ inclusion in their laws, policies, and services.
