City of Alexandria Receives Perfect Score on 2021 Municipal Equality Index
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation and Equality Federation Institute have announced that the City of Alexandria is one of 110 cities in the U.S. to receive the maximum possible score of 100% on the 2021 Municipal Equality Index (MEI), a national assessment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer (LBGTQ) equality in municipal, policies, laws, and services.
This is the second consecutive year in which Alexandria has achieved this maximum score. The MEI rated 506 United States localities on 49 criteria, including non-discrimination laws; each municipality as an employer; municipal services; law enforcement; local leadership’s public positions on equality; and how inclusive municipal laws, policies and services are for the LGBTQ community.
“We are proud of this national recognition,” said Mayor Justin Wilson. “In a time when many states have enacted anti-LGTBQ legislation, Alexandria not only strives to be a welcoming and inclusive community. We are also prominently and publicly asserting our local human rights protections and programs, such as our ALL Alexandria equity commitment. We are guiding our City government—along with other employers, landlords and businesses—toward becoming a fully equitable community.”
Out of a total of 11 Virginia localities rated, the City of Alexandria, Arlington County and Fairfax County, and the cities of Richmond and Virginia Beach achieved the maximum score.
The City’s Alexandria Human Rights Code was among the first human rights ordinances in Virginia. Since it was enacted in 1975, this ordinance has continually expanded to protect more people. Alexandria has been ranked in the MEI every year since it began in 2012, with consistently increasing scores.
Visit alexandriava.gov/HumanRights for more information about human rights protections in Alexandria.
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