Inclusion and acceptance for the LGBT community is on the rise, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which recently released its 2015 Municipal Equality Index.
Rated on a 100-point scale, the LGBT rights group’s annual index assigns numerical grades to some of the country’s biggest metropolitan areas based on criteria including the municipality’s: non-discrimination laws; services as an employer; community services; law enforcement; and relationship with the LGBT community.
Nationally, the average score came to 56 points, which is up from 38 in 2014, 25 in 2013 and 11 in 2012. Among the metros rated, over half scored a 61 or better, with 25 percent scoring over 77 and 11 percent over 100.
“Across our country, cities and towns both big and small aren’t waiting for state or national leaders to move LGBT equality forward,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Instead, these municipalities are taking action now to improve the lives of countless LGBT Americans.”
The issue isn’t just one of civil rights or diversity. A number of studies and surveys have also suggested that inclusion and acceptance of the LGBT community has economic implications.
According to a study from Witeck Communications released earlier this year, the LGBT market’s worth in the U.S. was estimated at $884 billion in 2014.
“Buying power estimates help paint one snapshot of the overlooked economic contributions made by America’s diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender households in our dynamic economy,” said Bob Witeck, president of Witeck.
Two Texas Cities Score Perfect Ratings
In Texas, the average score for the cities rated, which included 23 of the state’s biggest metros, was only 32. However, two cities – Austin and Dallas – scored perfect 100s and Houston performed better than the state’s average with a score of 48.
The city scored perfectly in the HRC’s category that evaluated the municipality’s relationship with the LGBT community, which weighed Houston’s leadership’s public position on LGBT equality and its efforts to introduce pro-equality policy and legislation. Houston also scored relatively well on the issues of law enforcement and as an employer of LGBT persons – though, the city provides no transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits.
The city’s rating as an LGBT-friendly employer is particularly important, as the financial benefits of an inclusive workplace have long been known by many major companies, which, according to the HRC, use fair workplace policies as a tool to “enhance an employer’s reputation, increase job satisfaction and boost employee morale.”
The group’s statement was supported earlier this year by a study from LGBT marketing group Out Now, which claimed that the U.S. economy could save $9 billion annually were organizations to improve and expand implementation of diversity and inclusion policies for LGBT staff. According to the study, LGBT staff who are forced to hide their identity at work suffer from higher levels of stress and anxiety, which translates to health problems and an increase in work-related complaints.
No Legal Protections for Houston’s LGBT Community
Where Houston really fell short in HRC’s evaluation was in non-discriminatory legislation, which isn’t entirely surprising, considering the recent decision by the city’s electorate to repeal Houston’s equal rights ordinance, HERO.
“The devastating repeal of Houston’s equal rights ordinance clearly demonstrates that securing full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Texans is about much more than winning the freedom to marry,” said Equality Texas Executive Director Chuck Smith. “This disparity between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ only further demonstrates the critical need for statewide LGBT nondiscrimination protections in employment, housing and public spaces.”
Of Texas’ five biggest cities – Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Fort Worth – Houston is the only one without a well-defined, well-established equal rights policy.