Birmingham scores perfect in LGBTQ support; the rest of Alabama, not so much
When it comes to inclusivity for Alabama’s LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community, a new study released by Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation — the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization — found most cities aren’t particularly LGBTQ-friendly. The scores of the seventh annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), which were released Monday, looked at 506 municipalities in all 50 states to determine how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and the city leadership’s public position on equality. As part of the study, eight Alabama cities were scored on their commitment to the health, welfare, safety and equality of the LGBTQ community. Only Birmingham, managed to surpass the national average of 58, as the Magic City received a perfect 100 points making it “the first city in the Deep South to reach this zenith.” Meanwhile, the next highest Alabama city wasTuscaloosa with only 30 points. Both Huntsville and Mobile trailed with 19 points, with Montgomery close behind with 17. Florence and Hoover tied with 12 points, and Auburn comes in last with just 4 points. A closer look at the Alabama scores: It turns out, Alabama is currently one of 30 states without comprehensive LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination protections at the state level. “For LGBTQ Americans, legal protections and benefits vary widely depending on location — states and cities have markedly different laws governing discrimination,” the HRC said in a statement. “21 states have non-discrimination laws that include protections for LGBTQ people in employment, and 20 states have laws that protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in places of public accommodation.”
Human Rights Campaign report lists Alabama as ‘High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality’
According to The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, and the Equality Federation; Alabama has some catching up to do. HRC, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, announced its fourth annual State Equality Index report including detailed scorecards for every state and a comprehensive review of 2017 state legislation concerning LGBTQ equality. Each state was placed into one of four categories based on their pro- and anti-LGBTQ state laws. Alabama was listed in the “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality,” category. “Despite a historic victory in Birmingham with the state’s first LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance being passed in September 2017, the State Equality Index identifies many areas of opportunity and advancement for LGBTQ equality in Alabama,” said Executive Director of Equality Alabama, Alex Smith in a news release. “Equality Alabama is poised both to fight against a preemption of this ordinance in the 2018 legislative session and to support pro-equality pieces of legislation that aim to provide nondiscrimination protections statewide, make it easier for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals to change the gender marker on their birth certificates and state IDs, and remove homophobic language from the state’s sexual health education statutes.” According to the report, Alabama does not have any provisions for LGBTQ identifiers in the following categories: HOUSING: The state does not prohibit housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. EMPLOYMENT: The state does not prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. HATE CRIMES: The state does have a law that addresses hate or bias crimes based on sexual orientation only. PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS: The state does not prohibit discrimination in public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity. SCHOOL ANTI-BULLYING: The state does not have a law that addresses harassment and/or bullying of students based on sexual orientation and gender identity. EDUCATION: The state does not have a law that addresses discrimination against students based on sexual orientation and gender identity. TRANSGENDER HEALTHCARE: The state has neither a ban on insurance exclusions for transgender healthcare nor does it provide transgender-inclusive health benefits to state employees. GENDER MARKER CHANGE ON IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS: The state does not have laws or policies that facilitate gender marker change on driver’s licenses or birth certificates. CONVERSION THERAPY: This state has no restrictions on so-called “conversion therapy.” Alabama is one of the 31 states listed in the report as lacking explicit state-level protections for all LGBTQ people. Even at a time of historically high support for LGBTQ equality, an estimated 12 million LGBTQ Americans and their families remain at risk of being evicted or denied services because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. “If an LGBTQ couple drove from Maine to California today, their legal rights and civil rights protections could change more than 20 times at state borders and city lines. The vast majority of Americans today understand that this crazy quilt of protections — and lack thereof — is wrong, impractical, and unacceptable,” said Chad Griffin, HRC President. “The time has come for us to do away with this ragged patchwork of state laws that fail to protect LGBTQ people equally by passing the Equality Act once and for all.
Gay rights group launches $26M campaign ahead of midterms
The Human Rights Campaign, one of the nation’s leading gay rights groups, is launching a $26 million political organizing effort ahead of next year’s midterm elections. While the effort is nationwide, the group is focusing its resources in particular on several key states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada. All six states are expected to have competitive Senate races next fall, and each is a presidential battleground. HRC president Chad Griffin said the effort, which will include hiring at least 20 additional political staffers, aims to go “beyond resistance” – drawing from the phrase used by opponents of President Donald Trump‘s administration. He said the group will focus on fighting legislation curbing gay rights and backing “pro-equality candidates and initiatives.” “Resistance is really important – all of the marches and the rallies, that’s all important,” Griffin said. “But it’s also important to not only sustain that, but to take that to the next level.” HRC’s announcement comes as Democrats and liberal organization grapple with how to rebound from devastating defeats across the country in November. Despite Trump’s sluggish approval ratings, Democrats have failed to pull out victories in several special elections this year, and the party faces a difficult electoral map in 2018, with many competitive Senate races in Republican-leaning states. Griffin said the Human Rights Campaign is drawing in part on its efforts last year in North Carolina, where Democrat Roy Cooper defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Pat McCrory, who signed the controversial “”bathroom bill” law. The measure required transgender people to use restrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates in many public buildings, but was rolled back as part of a compromise plan signed by Cooper after he took office. HRC spent more than $3 million in North Carolina ahead of last year’s election. “There weren’t a lot of bright spots for our community in the last election but North Carolina was a milestone,” Griffin said. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
