Iowa City received a perfect rating in the Human Rights Campaign's 2015 Municipal Equality Index for its municipal support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights.
In a Thursday news release, the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization — announced the results of its fourth annual Municipal Equality Index. Iowa City was one of 47 cities nationwide and one of two cities in Iowa to receive a perfect score.
The index, released in partnership with the Equality Federation, was first introduced in 2012 and is one of the only nationwide rating systems of LGBT inclusion in municipal law and policy. The index rates cities based on 41 criteria that fall under broad categories, including non-discrimination laws, municipal non-discrimination employment policies, inclusiveness of city services and law enforcement. This year, the Human Rights Campaign assessed 408 cities nationwide.
Cities that were part of the index were issued scorecards and given the opportunity to respond to each of the criteria. The rating is a way for city staff to assess policies and take stock of successful programs and initiatives, said Stefanie Bowers, Iowa City's equity director, and it is also is a useful tool for making decisions about to improve inclusivity.
"It's helpful for us for them to provide this evaluation of our services and programs so that we not only know how we're doing in comparison to our peers, but we can see whether or not we're meeting the needs of all members of the community," Bowers said.
Iowa City scored 91 points and earned 14 bonus points. Scores were capped at a 100-point maximum. The city earned points for having non-discrimination laws on the books relating to employment, housing and public accommodations. Bonus points were earned for services provided through city funding for LGBT youth, elderly and homeless persons and for persons living with HIV or AIDS.
"Some of the items are ones that are collaborations with other organizations and businesses in the community that the city is able to partner with so that these services can be continued. If you're looking at the scorecard and seeing the city provides services to LGBT youth, in reality, we provide funding to agencies that provide those services," Bowers said.
The city also received points for employing Shannon McMahon, an LGBT liaison. McMahon said via email Thursday that she works not only as a resource for the city manager and mayor, but also "as a resource for the public to elevate the concerns of the LGBT community and ensure they are being heard."
Specific examples of the city's contributions to programs and services include yearly participation in Iowa City Pride celebrations, support for the weekly Gay-Straight Alliance Movie Theater at the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center and contributions made to the LGBTQ Summit sponsored by United Action for Youth this past May.
"All the categories are weighted pretty evenly, and so I think it is a combination of all the things we are doing that has helped us earn these high marks," McMahon wrote.
Data in the index show the average score for cities in Iowa was 85 out of 100 points, compared with the nationwide average of 56 points. Davenport was the only other city in the state that earned 100 points. Cedar Rapids scored 99 points, Sioux City scored 83, Des Moines 82, Ames 70 and Waterloo 62.
"If you look back at the history of Iowa City, the Human Rights Office was established in 1963. They added sexual orientation as a protected characteristic in 1976, and they added gender identity in 1995, so when you compare that to the state or federal level, Iowa City has been historically more progressive," Bowers said.
The Iowa City Police Department has three appointed LGBT liaisons: investigator Bob Hartman, investigator Andrew Rich and officer Rob Cash.
The complete Iowa City scorecard can be found at www.hrc.org.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...city-perfect-score-lgbt-inclusivity/77505006/
In a Thursday news release, the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization — announced the results of its fourth annual Municipal Equality Index. Iowa City was one of 47 cities nationwide and one of two cities in Iowa to receive a perfect score.
The index, released in partnership with the Equality Federation, was first introduced in 2012 and is one of the only nationwide rating systems of LGBT inclusion in municipal law and policy. The index rates cities based on 41 criteria that fall under broad categories, including non-discrimination laws, municipal non-discrimination employment policies, inclusiveness of city services and law enforcement. This year, the Human Rights Campaign assessed 408 cities nationwide.
Cities that were part of the index were issued scorecards and given the opportunity to respond to each of the criteria. The rating is a way for city staff to assess policies and take stock of successful programs and initiatives, said Stefanie Bowers, Iowa City's equity director, and it is also is a useful tool for making decisions about to improve inclusivity.
"It's helpful for us for them to provide this evaluation of our services and programs so that we not only know how we're doing in comparison to our peers, but we can see whether or not we're meeting the needs of all members of the community," Bowers said.
Iowa City scored 91 points and earned 14 bonus points. Scores were capped at a 100-point maximum. The city earned points for having non-discrimination laws on the books relating to employment, housing and public accommodations. Bonus points were earned for services provided through city funding for LGBT youth, elderly and homeless persons and for persons living with HIV or AIDS.
"Some of the items are ones that are collaborations with other organizations and businesses in the community that the city is able to partner with so that these services can be continued. If you're looking at the scorecard and seeing the city provides services to LGBT youth, in reality, we provide funding to agencies that provide those services," Bowers said.
The city also received points for employing Shannon McMahon, an LGBT liaison. McMahon said via email Thursday that she works not only as a resource for the city manager and mayor, but also "as a resource for the public to elevate the concerns of the LGBT community and ensure they are being heard."
Specific examples of the city's contributions to programs and services include yearly participation in Iowa City Pride celebrations, support for the weekly Gay-Straight Alliance Movie Theater at the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center and contributions made to the LGBTQ Summit sponsored by United Action for Youth this past May.
"All the categories are weighted pretty evenly, and so I think it is a combination of all the things we are doing that has helped us earn these high marks," McMahon wrote.
Data in the index show the average score for cities in Iowa was 85 out of 100 points, compared with the nationwide average of 56 points. Davenport was the only other city in the state that earned 100 points. Cedar Rapids scored 99 points, Sioux City scored 83, Des Moines 82, Ames 70 and Waterloo 62.
"If you look back at the history of Iowa City, the Human Rights Office was established in 1963. They added sexual orientation as a protected characteristic in 1976, and they added gender identity in 1995, so when you compare that to the state or federal level, Iowa City has been historically more progressive," Bowers said.
The Iowa City Police Department has three appointed LGBT liaisons: investigator Bob Hartman, investigator Andrew Rich and officer Rob Cash.
The complete Iowa City scorecard can be found at www.hrc.org.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...city-perfect-score-lgbt-inclusivity/77505006/
