For Immediate Release: 10/11/2018 3:25 pm
The City of Worcester has been awarded a perfect score of 100 by the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization for the fifth consecutive year.
The Human Rights Campaign has released the seventh annual edition of the Municipal Equality Index (MEI) report. The MEI is an annual nationwide evaluation of municipal laws, policies and services affecting the LGBTQ community. It assesses each city on 49 criteria covering citywide nondiscrimination protections, policies for municipal employees, city services, law enforcement, and city leadership’s relationship with the LGBTQ community.
Worcester was one of just 78 cities across the nation to earn a perfect score this year among a total of 506 cities scored. In addition to Worcester, five other cities in Massachusetts also received a perfect score of 100: Boston, Cambridge, Northampton, Provincetown and Salem. The average score for cities in Massachusetts is 88 points, which ranks above the national average of 58. Worcester was first ranked in 2013 and received a score of 55.
“Since becoming City Manager, I’ve been committed to making Worcester an open, welcoming City for all people,” said City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. “For five years in a row we’ve now received a perfect score of 100, which is a strong testament that inclusive practices continue to be a priority.”
“I’m really very pleased to receive a perfect equity score for the fifth consecutive year,” said Mayor Joseph M. Petty. “This is not just the morally right thing to do. Standing up for equality and equity is good for every aspect of our City, from our schools to our economy. Cities that are open and welcoming to everyone are the cities that attract the best and the brightest minds as well as businesses.”
