In a new evaluation published by the Human Rights Campaign, Dallas, Fort Worth, and Arlington each earned perfect scores for their respective policies and services supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion.
The LGBTQ+ advocacy group’s Municipal Equality Index rates cities across the country using a checklist that looks for the existence of non-discrimination laws, LGBTQ+ liaisons in police departments, and openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed leaders. Among other things, it also evaluates city services for LGBTQ+ people. Fort Worth has had a nondiscrimination ordinance against sexual orientation on the books since 2000, while Dallas passed one two years later. (In 2009, Fort Worth added gender identity to its ordinance and in 2015 Dallas created separated classifications that barred discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity.)
Some North Texas cities put up decidedly less impressive scores. Garland, dinged for its lack of a non-discrimination ordinance and services for LGBTQ+ residents, got 24 out of 100 points from the Human Rights Campaign. Grand Prairie (36), Irving (47), Plano (64), McKinney (36), and Mesquite (39) also fell short of a passing grade.
