Tampa, St. Petersburg, scores perfect results in the LGBTQ + Nationwide Equality Assessment

Tampa and St. Petersburg scored perfect scores on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index, a nationwide assessment of cities’ commitment to including LGBTQ + in laws, policies, and services.

This is the eighth year St. Petersburg has received a perfect score and the fourth year for Tampa. The human rights campaign assessed a total of 506 cities, including 20 municipalities in Florida. In addition to Tampa and St. Petersburg, eight other Florida cities received perfect scores, including Tallahassee, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Hollywood, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, and Wellington.

The index ranks cities based on their anti-discrimination laws, the community as an employer, the city’s services and programs, law enforcement, and leadership in LGBTQ + equality.

The anti-discrimination legislation category seeks protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in residential, work and public accommodation. It also evaluates city laws aimed at preventing conversion therapy for minors and whether or not cities designate single-person bathrooms as facilities for all genders.

In the “Community as Employer” category, the human rights campaign assesses whether the city’s recruitment policy prohibits discrimination, has trans-inclusive healthcare, hires contractors with anti-discrimination policies and promotes inclusion in the workplace.

The index also assesses the relationships of city leaders and law enforcement with the LGBTQ community, looking at factors such as whether the city and police have LGBTQ connections, consistency in reporting hate crimes to the FBI, and participation of local leaders in it Pride marches or other gestures for equality.

In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, St. Petersburg City LGBTQ Liaison Officer Jim Nixon said that the city’s perfect score on the index is the result of policies and practices deliberately pursued under Mayor Rick Kriseman were at equality.

“I think it’s a true representation of the city that Mayor Kriseman challenged us to be,” said Nixon.

In a statement, Kriseman said he was proud of the progress the city has made in working on LGBTQ equality.

“Even as my term as mayor comes to an end, I will remain committed to this work and ensure that LGBTQ residents and visitors will forever see St. Pete as the city of opportunity, with the sun shining on all of us,” he said.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a statement that her city’s perfect score on the index reflects her values.

“In Tampa, we celebrate Pride year-round by being a city that recognizes diversity as one of its greatest assets,” she said. “This score reflects our mission to live up to this value.”

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from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/tampa-st-petersburg-scores-perfect-results-in-the-lgbtq-nationwide-equality-assessment/