WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), in collaboration with the Equality Federation, has released the 13th edition of its Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the nation’s most comprehensive assessment of LGBTQ+ equality in municipal policies, laws, and services. This year’s report evaluates cities across the country, including eight in Tennessee, showcasing the progress and challenges faced in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
Murfreesboro received a score of 12 points, while Nashville hit 84 points, according to the index released by the HRC.
The MEI 2024 report reveals that a record-breaking 130 cities nationwide earned perfect scores of 100, representing over 25% of all rated municipalities. While this marks a significant increase from the 11 cities in the index’s inaugural year (2012) and the 129 cities in 2023, the report also underscores areas where inclusivity has been hindered by discriminatory state laws.
Tennessee Cities Score Mixed Results
- Nashville: 84 points
- Memphis: 64 points
- Chattanooga: 62 points
- Knoxville: 51 points
- Clarksville: 44 points
- Franklin: 14 points
- Johnson City: 14 points
- Murfreesboro: 12 points
Fran Hutchins, Executive Director of the Equality Federation Institute, emphasized the importance of local advocacy. “While federal and state anti-equality efforts persist, local communities continue to fight for freedoms, families, and futures,” Hutchins said. “This index reflects both the progress we’ve made and the significant challenges ahead.”
Progress Amid Challenges - Since the MEI’s inception, the number of cities offering transgender-inclusive health benefits has grown substantially, from five in 2012 to more than 240 in 2024. However, discriminatory state laws have recently prevented some municipalities from fully implementing these benefits, leading to a loss of points for about 35% of cities that had previously offered such coverage.
“Mayors and city councils who prioritize LGBTQ+ inclusion are building stronger communities,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the HRC. “Despite state-level hostility, local governments are leading the way in creating inclusive environments where cities can thrive.”
Looking Ahead - The MEI evaluates cities based on criteria such as non-discrimination laws, municipal services, and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. The annual report scores the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the U.S., and other selected municipalities.
While the report highlights national progress, Tennessee’s scores reflect the need for continued advocacy to address disparities and ensure protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. Local leaders and advocates remain at the forefront of these efforts, driving change from the ground up.
For detailed scorecards and the full report, visit www.hrc.org/mei.
MORE: “As a community and a people, we are interconnected. While certain federal and state anti-equality politicians continue to single people out to bully based on race or gender, local communities continue showing up for each other and fighting for our freedoms, our families, and our futures," said Fran Hutchins, Executive Director of Equality Federation Institute. "Local advocates are tirelessly working to shield their communities and affirm the power and strength of queer and trans individuals, even in the face of discriminatory state laws. Yet, while some cities are making progress, the overall landscape remains challenging. The Municipal Equality Index underscores the need to invest in local leaders, on-the-ground capacity, and the fight for local protections wherever possible.”
Across the country, a record-breaking 130 cities received a perfect score, up from only 11 in the MEI’s inaugural year and 129 from 2023, representing a combined population of approximately 49 million people. This important progress was made even as pressure has continued from states that pass laws and policies that seek to shut transgender people – particularly trans youth – out of public life. Since the first MEI report in 2012, when only five cities offered these vital benefits, to 187 municipalities in 2022, and now more than 240 in 2024, the trend continues to be toward inclusivity. Despite this, state legislatures have enacted discriminatory laws that prevent transgender people from getting certain kinds of medically necessary health care. Cities who have worked to ensure that transgender-inclusive health benefits are covered by their insurance plans are in many cases no longer able to provide that coverage in a meaningful way as a result of discriminatory decisions made by state legislators. This is, unfortunately, reflected in the 2024 MEI report as a loss of points for about 35% of the cities who have attempted to offer this care but have been preempted from doing so.
“Over more than a decade, the Municipal Equality Index has worked with cities and towns in all parts of the country, in all fifty states to advance the fight for lived & legal equality,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “For LGBTQ+ people, building community isn’t just a phrase, it’s a way of life. In many important ways, local politics shapes our lives just as much as state or national politics does. Mayors and city councilors who take LGBTQ+ inclusion seriously build stronger communities, and in turn their cities thrive.
130 cities earned the highest possible score in this year’s index - over 25 percent of the cities we surveyed. And many, many more scored highly despite the fact that their states lack comprehensive non-discrimination protections, or even have state houses actively hostile to LGBTQ+ equality. They show the way forward, and we celebrate their hard work.”
Every year, the Municipal Equality Index scores the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the United States, the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, the cities home to the state’s two largest public universities, 75 cities and municipalities that have high proportions of same-sex couples, and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation state groups, members, and supporters.
Source: Human Rights Campaign
