ORLANDO, Fla. – The city of Orlando received a perfect from the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index for the community’s LGBT inclusion in law and policy.
HRC is the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights group.
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In the 2016 rating, 506 cities were scored on 44 different criteria, including non-discrimination ordinances, benefits for city employees, leadership and law enforcement policies, according to HRC.
Orlando scored a 100 percent on the Municipal Equality Index for the third year in a row.
This year’s rating has special meaning for a city that has continued to recover after a lone gunman targeted Pulse, the gay nightclub, on June 12, shooting and killing 49 people. Many of the victims were part of the LGBT community.
Proud to work with our LGBTQ community on a daily basis. Proud that @citybeautiful received perfect score in @HRC Municipal Equality Index. pic.twitter.com/qUrMTCDGzs
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) October 18, 2016
“Orlando, a city that has come together in the wake of a tragic attack on the LGBTQ community, was chosen for the event because of its leadership on equality,” HRC said in a news release. “This leadership is demonstrated by its high score on the MEI, even while being located in a state without fully inclusive non-discrimination protections.”
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was joined by leaders from the Human Rights Campaign, Equality Florida and local advocates to accept this year’s MEI score on Tuesday.
"I'm so proud that City Beautiful has received a perfect score on HRC's MEI 2016, recognized for being diverse, inclusive and #OrlandoUnited," Dyer tweeted after the ceremony at City Hall.