Miami Beach Scores a Perfect 100 on HRC’s 2019 Municipal Equality Index

(Miami Beach, FL) Nov 27, 2019 -

For a seventh consecutive year, the City of Miami Beach has earned a perfect score of 100 points plus an additional 14 bonus points on the 2019 Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI) – placing the urban island in the top tier of communities across the nation that, through action and policy, have paved the way in the fight for fairness.

“We aren’t looking to check boxes on LGBTQ equality — we intend to create the boxes for other folks to check,” said Mayor Dan Gelber. “I look more forward to a day when inclusivity need not be recognized or rated – because it’s universally expected and, simply, the right thing to do. Until that day, we are proud to lead!”

The report on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) equality in America’s cities by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization, rated the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the United States, the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, the cities home to the state’s two largest public universities (including undergraduate and graduate enrollment), 75 cities & municipalities that have high proportions of same sex couples, and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation state groups members and supporters. Miami Beach is one of four cities that self-submit.

“We’re consistently building on our initiatives year after year and sending a clear message to all: the LGBTQ community is not only welcome in our City, but they are an integral part of who we are. A win for one minority is a win for all minorities,” added Commissioner Michael Gongora.

This year, the City of Miami Beach once again received bonus points for actively going above and beyond for LGBTQ inclusion and equity, including non-discrimination laws to protect youth from conversion therapy and all-gender single occupancy facilities, youth bullying prevention policies and services, the employee benefit of recognizing domestic partners, and having openly LGBTQ elected or appointed municipal leaders.

“While serving in the state legislature, I made significant legislative achievements for the LGBTQ community, including working with the City of Miami Beach to become the first city in Florida to ban “Conversion Therapy,” noted Commissioner David Richardson. “Miami Beach has been a national leader on LGBTQ rights, and as a newly elected Commissioner I am committed to continue to advance equality for all in our community.”

The 2019 index finds that cities across the country, including those in Florida, continued to prove that municipalities act to support equality for LGBTQ people, even where states and the federal government have failed to do so. The full report, including detailed scorecards for every city and a searchable database, is available online at www.hrc.org/mei.

“We are so proud to have received 100+ scores since we started self-submitting in 2012,” said LGBTQ Advisory Committee Vice Chair, Cindy Brown. “Miami Beach has consistently led the way in LGBTQ rights in Miami-Dade County, as well as Florida, and we hope other cities will follow our lead,”

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The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign, America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC and the HRC Foundation strive to end discrimination against LGBTQ citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.