City Of West Hollywood Earns Top Score In Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 Municipal Equality Index

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

December 7, 2020

The City of West Hollywood has received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), a nationwide evaluation of municipal laws affecting the LGBTQ community. The City received 17 bonus points in recognition of specific services such as those to LGBTQ youth, seniors, and homeless people; services to people with HIV/AIDS; and services to transgender people. The City also received bonus calculations for its single-occupancy all-gender facilities, for its employee domestic partner benefits, and for its openly LGBTQ elected municipal leaders.

The Human Rights Campaign launched the MEI in 2012 and rates cities yearly. The MEI examines the laws, policies, and services of municipalities of various sizes from every state in the country and rates them on the basis of their inclusivity of LGBT people living and working in those cities. This year’s score once again places the City of West Hollywood at the top of rated municipalities in the nation. HRC rated a total of 506 cities. The City of West Hollywood has received a score of 100+ on the MEI for many consecutive years.

“Nine consecutive years of receiving a top score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index is something that the City of West Hollywood is incredibly proud of and that we do not take for granted,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “The outgoing federal administration has actively sought to dismantle legislative protections of LGBTQ people and to introduce anti-LGBTQ policies. We know we will have a new LGBTQ-friendly administration to look forward to in 2021, but we cannot rest for a moment in continuing to not only protect the rights of LGBTQ people, but also to continue to maintain our efforts for full equality. The City of West Hollywood will continue to support our community members here in West Hollywood as we stand up for LGBTQ people everywhere.”

A city’s MEI score is based on its non-discrimination laws, its recognition of relationships, its fairness and inclusiveness as an employer, its municipal services, its law enforcement, and its relationship with its LGBTQ community. Detailed scorecard information is posted on the HRC website at https://www.hrc.org/resources/municipal-equality-index. A PDF scorecard for the City of West Hollywood's 2020 MEI is available by clicking here.

Since incorporation in 1984, the City of West Hollywood has become one of the most influential cities in the nation in regard to its stance on LGBT issues — no other city of its size has had a greater impact on the national public policy discourse on fairness and inclusiveness for LGBTQ people. The City of West Hollywood is a community with a sizeable LGBTQ population. According to a 2019 Community Study survey, 43 percent of West Hollywood residents identified as part of the LGBTQ community, with 33 percent identifying as gay male, four percent identifying as lesbian, three percent identifying as bisexual, and three percent identifying as sexually fluid. The City has advocated for more three-and-a-half decades for measures to support LGBTQ individuals and has been in the vanguard on efforts to gain equality for all people on a state, national, and international level. The City was also the first city to create a domestic partnership registry as well as to offer benefits to City employees for same-sex couples.

As the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide — all committed to making HRC’s vision a reality. Founded in 1980, HRC advocates on behalf of LGBTQ Americans, mobilizes grassroots actions in diverse communities, invests strategically to elect fair-minded individuals to office, and educates the public about LGBT issues.

For additional information about the Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), please contact press@hrc.org.

For more information about the City of West Hollywood’s commitment to LGBTQ workplace equality, please contact Hernan Molina, the City of West Hollywood’s Governmental Affairs Liaison at (323) 848-6364 or hmolina@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in contact with other people not in your household. West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to in-person transactions, but City Hall services remain accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org. City of West Hollywood coronavirus information is available at www.weho.org/coronavirus.

For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity and sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email. For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.