St. Pete Earns Perfect Score On Human Rights Campaign’s Equality Index

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — For the ninth year in a row, St. Petersburg earned a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index.

The index is the only nationwide assessment of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy and services, the city said in a news release.

The 2022 MEI evaluated 506 cities based on how inclusive their laws, policies and services are of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

"In my first year as mayor, I am proud to be leading a city where intentional inclusivity guides our work," Mayor Ken Welch said. "After nine years of a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index, it could be easy for St. Petersburg to become complacent. Rather, it is motivation for the city to explore more ways in which our LGBTQ+ community can be supported, promoted and valued.”

Ten other Florida cities — Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami Beach, Oakland Park, Orlando, Tallahassee, Tampa, Wellington, West Palm Beach and Wilton Manors — also received perfect scores.

"St. Petersburg works hard to preserve the inclusive, welcoming city we have become over the last nine years with a perfect score," Jim Nixon, the St. Petersburg’s LGBTQ liaison, said. "Under the leadership of Mayor Welch, our city continues to make inclusivity and equity part of this administration's principles. In the face of anti-LGBTQ legislation, cities must continue to work towards achieving these benchmarks provided through the HRC Municipal Equality Index. Even if municipalities do not reach 100, this road map of municipal policies and outreach has proven to make Florida cities more inclusive and equitable and have improved the quality of life for all its citizens."

St. Petersburg has been working to become more inclusive for its LGBTQ+ residents and visitors since 2002, according to the city website. That year, the city passed a human rights ordinance adding sexual orientation as a protected status for housing, public accommodations and employment.

In 2003, the city hosted the first St. Pete Pride celebration, which is now one of the largest in the Southeast and draws more than 100,000 people each year.

Before same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States, the city added a domestic partnership registry in 2012. That year, the mayor at the time, Bill Foster, also signed a national Freedom to Marry statement issued by bipartisan mayors across the country.