Report: Most Iowa metros highly LGBTQ-supportive
A majority of Iowa’s larger cities rank high for support of LGBTQ people and workers, according to a new report released today by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The 2016 Municipal Equality Index, a nationwide rating system of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer inclusion in municipal law and policy, shows that cities nationwide continue to take the lead in supporting LGBTQ people and workers, even when states and the federal government have not. The average score for the nine Iowa cities included in the study was 82, compared with a national average of 55. Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Iowa City each received perfect 100 scores; the lowest-ranked Iowa city was West Des Moines, at 42. The MEI rates cities based on 44 criteria that fall into five broad categories: non-discrimination laws, municipal employment policies, inclusiveness of city services, law enforcement and municipal leadership on matters of equality.