NASHVILLE, Tenn. (OSBORNE) -- A national human rights group says most of Tennessee’s largest cities are still scoring below the national average on its annual index tracking local treatment of LGBTQ residents.
The Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index is in its 6th year and scores more than 500 cities nationwide.
Report author Xavier Persad says the index tracks five key indicators.
“Including non-discrimination protections that apply city-wide, the city’s own policies for city employees, city services, law enforcement, and the city leader’s public position on LGBTQ equality.”
Nashville was the only Tennessee city to rank above the national average, scoring 60 on a 100 point scale. Memphis and Knoxville both came in just under the national average of 57 points.
Franklin and Johnson City scored poorly with numbers in the teens. Murfreesboro had the lowest Tennessee ranking with 12 out of 100 points.
Persad says it may be somewhat surprising, but Human Rights Campaign is seeing national progress on gay rights each year.
“In the political climate that we have today where state and federal leaders are attempting to role-back LGBTQ protections, we see that cities are boldly stepping forward and enacting protections now.”
Tennessee and her Southeastern U.S. neighbors tend to have some of the lowest equality scores, but Persad says there are bright spots. He notes that Birmingham recently became the first city in Alabama to enact fully inclusive protections for that city’s gay community.
Here's a link to the complete study.