Alexandria Leads In LGBT Equality: Report

ALEXANDRIA, VA— Virginia doesn't have a statewide LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination law, but that doesn't stop Alexandria from doing well on LBGTQ equality.

The Human Rights Campaign named Alexandria the second best city for LGBTQ equality and an "All Star" designation for "advancing LGBTQ equality without relying on state law."

HRC scored 506 municipalities from all states based on 44 criteria. Alexandria scored 86 out of 100 points, only falling behind Arlington (93) in Virginia.

Cities like these earned top rankings due to practices such as local non-discrimination laws, providing transgender-inclusive health benefits for city employees and offering LGBTQ-inclusive city services. Del Ray had also been recently nominated as one of Washington Blade’s 2017 "Best Gayborhoods" in the DC area.

The organization called Alexandria and Arlington "beacons of hope" among other cities in their state. On average, Virginia cities averaged 49 points, which falls below the national average of 57. Here are the scores for all of the cities included from Virginia:

1. Arlington: 93

2. Alexandria: 86

3. Charlottesville: 80

4. Virginia Beach: 54

5. Norfolk: 47

6. Richmond: 42

7. Fairfax County: 33

8. Hampton: 30

9. Chesapeake: 28

10. Roanoke: 24

11. Newport News: 21

See more about Alexandria's ranking and the report here.

Image via Sarah Marcella Hallee/Visit Alexandria