The Municipal Equality Index examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people who live and work there.

ST. PETERSBURG – For the third year in a row, the city of St. Petersburg has scored a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index.

St. Pete was one of four cities in Florida to receive a perfect score, out of the 18 Florida cities ranked. Tampa, the other Bay area city evaluated on the index, lagged behind St. Pete with a score of 86.

“We are incredibly proud of our perfect score. It is a reflection of our values and policy advancements and serves as a vital message point for us when recruiting people and businesses to our city,” St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said. “We also recognize that building an inclusive city never ends. There’s always work to do. We are committed to this work and ensuring that LGBTQ residents and visitors forever view St. Pete as a beacon of progress.”

Jim Nixon, membership & group sales manager at the Salvador Dali Museum, who this year joined the city as LGBT liaison, said, “For the third consecutive year our city demonstrates its continuing commitment to equality for the LGBTQ Community and for all that live in our great city.”

The Human Rights Campaign represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

The group’s Municipal Equality Index examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and the city leadership’s public position on equality.

The 2017 MEI is the sixth annual edition and rates a total of 506 cities from every state in the nation on 44 different criteria.

File photo shows raising of gay pride flag at St. Petersburg City Hall. Courtesy of the City of st. petersburg.

St. Petersburg | LGBTQ | Rick Kriseman | Human Rights Campaign | Tampabay News | Community News

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