The Human Rights Campaign recently released the 2023 Municipal Equality Index, and Indianapolis is on the list. How did we score?
Each year, the Human Rights Campaign releases a Municipal Equality Index which takes a deep dive into municipal laws, policies, and services and how inclusive they are of the LGBTQ+ community. This year’s edition examined 506 cities on 49 different criteria across five categories — non-discrimination laws, municipality as employer, services and programs, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.
Based on these criteria, Indianapolis earned a score of 80 out of 100. In case you missed it, that’s the same as last year’s score. Here’s a breakdown of how we got here… and how that score might change.
Non-discrimination laws
This category looks at whether LGBTQ+ discrimination is prohibited by law in areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation. Indianapolis achieved a 30 out of 30 for our laws across the state, county, and municipality.
Municipality as employer
Cities can achieve points for inclusive employment policies like trans-inclusive healthcare policies and non-discrimination in city employment. Indianapolis got a 20 out of 28, but earned bonus points for city employee domestic partner benefits.
Services and programs
This section considers the city’s efforts to include LGBTQ+ folks in city services and programs. Indianapolis scored 7 out of 12.
Law enforcement
Looking at the relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community, Indianapolis earned 12 out of 22. We lost 10 points in the subcategory addressing an LGBTQ+ liaison or task force in the department.
Leadership on LGBTQ+ equality
This section looks at city leadership’s commitment to advocacy and inclusion. Indianapolis got an 8 out of 8, and earned bonus points for having openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed leaders.
Looking ahead
Indianapolis would achieve a higher score from the HRC with efforts like instating liaisons in the city executive’s office and police department. Indy could achieve bonus points with services for the transgender community, LGBTQ+ older adults, and those experiencing homelessness.
If you want to get involved, here are some local organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community.
