Evanston Earned Highest LGBT Rating, Appoints Liaison

From City of Evanston

The City of Evanston obtained the highest possible score from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the only nationwide rating system of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) inclusion in municipal law and policy.

Evanston appointed Director of Community Development Mark Muenzer as the LGBT Liaison to the city.

The 2014 MEI shows that cities across the country continue to take the lead in supporting LGBT people and workers, even when states and the federal government have not. Evanston and the City of Chicago are the only two Illinois cities to receive a score of 100.

The cities that Human Rights Campaign (HRC) researched for the 2014 MEI include the 50 state capitals, the 200 most populous cities in the country, the four largest cities in every state, the city which is home to each state’s largest public university, and an equal mix of 75 of the nation’s large, mid-size and small municipalities with the highest proportion of same-sex couples.

In total, 353 cities across the nation were assessed, including seven in Illinois. While not eligible for assessment using the MEI criteria, the City of Evanston was one of only four cities to successfully self-submit for evaluation.

“The City of Evanston is proud to have achieved a 100 rating on the Municipal Equality Index,” said City of Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl. “The rating is indicative of just how great Evanston is for not only LGBT people, but for all people who live, work and play here.”

The 2014 MEI Report is posted at cityofevanston.org/resident/lgbt-community.

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.

HRC envisions a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.