Arlington Earns LGBTQ Inclusive Recognition

ARLINGTON, MA — It turns out Arlington's laws and policies are pretty inclusive, when you put them up against the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index, according to a recent ranking.

The Town of Arlington was awarded a near-perfect score on the index that looks at how towns and cities nationwide do when it comes to how inclusive they are of LGBTQ individuals, Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine and Health and Human Services Director Christine Bongiorno announced today in a press release.

The index evaluates municipal laws, policies and services to determine how they rank. Arlington earned 94 points out of a possible 100 — up from 81 last year — for its policies, its employment of people who identify as LGBTQ and its relationship with members of the LGBTQ community, including acceptance of transgender individuals.

“Our town is strong because of the solid foundation that so many people have striven to build. It is a foundation of cooperation and a commitment to service for the benefit of and — just as often — undertaken by all of our residents,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Joe Curro said in a statement. “The year-over-year increases in our ... rating speak volumes about Arlington as a caring community where our LGBTQ friends and neighbors can feel supported and welcomed as full participants in our civic life.”

Arlington established a Rainbow/Pride Commission recently to promote equality-affirming policies, greater visibility and empowerment to people across the full spectrum of sexual orientations and gender identities through education, advocacy and collaboration across town agencies, schools and community groups, according to a press release.

“Our core responsibility as a town is to ensure that every person who lives and works here feels welcome in our community,” Town Manager Chapdelaine said. “We are dedicated to ensuring that we’re constantly building upon the resources we offer to our residents, and the Rainbow/Pride Commission will do just that.”

To learn more about the Municipal Equality Index, which analyzed 506 towns and cities throughout the U.S., visit hrc.org/mei. If you are an Arlington resident and are interested in becoming a member of the LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission, please send your resume and letter of interest to: Town Manager Chapdelaine, 730 Mass. Ave., or email townmanager@town.arlington.ma.us by Nov. 25.