City of Albuquerque Improves Score on National LGBTQ+ Report Card
November 19, 2019
The City of Albuquerque is climbing the charts on a national index that measures how well a city treats its LGBTQ+ community. The City earned a score of 85 this year, a jump up from 74 in 2018, according to the report released by the Human Rights Campaign.
The 2019 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) Report rates more than 500 cities nationwide based on their laws, policies, and services impacting the LGBTQ+ community.
“The improvement we made this year in making Albuquerque more inclusive is important progress for our community,” Mayor Keller said, “However, our work is not done. We will keep up our efforts to partner with local advocates, strengthen our policies and practices and fight discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.”
The City received points for ensuring transgender City employees receive health coverage benefits for transition-related health care, as well as for appointing a staff member to be a liaison between the Mayor’s Office and the LGBTQ community. The Human Rights Campaign also awarded points for the City of Albuquerque’s designation of a Pride House for LGBTQ elders during the National Senior Games, as well as for funding the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico.
Albuquerque continues to score high in the areas of non-discrimination in City employment, having an inclusive workplace, and providing domestic partner benefits in the City’s employee benefit package. The City also rated highly for having a Human Rights Commission, for enforcing non-discrimination, and for reporting hate crimes to the FBI.
“In Albuquerque, we value and celebrate members of the transgender and queer communities,” says Adrian Carver, Executive Director of Equality New Mexico. “It’s important for LGBTQ+ Burqueños to know that our community has a strong partner in Mayor Keller. Equality New Mexico is proud to have worked with the two openly LGBTQ+ city councilors, Pat Davis and Diane Gibson, and the Mayor’s office to raise our score. We look forward to continuing this work so that everyone in our city lives a self-determinate life.”
The Human Rights Campaign issued the first MEI report card in 2012. Since its first report it has served as a tool and guide for many cities to develop, share and sustain equitable and inclusive practices for the LGBTQ+ community.