PRESS RELEASE

For eight years in a row, the City of Long Beach has been named one of the best cities in the nation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) inclusion in municipal law and policy. Long Beach was one of 506 cities nationwide to be scored, and one of 88 to achieve a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index (MEI).

“We are proud to be recognized for our commitment to inclusion for the LGBTQ community,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Long Beach is, and will always be, a place where everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can live, work, and love.”

Long Beach has long recognized LGBTQ rights in its municipal laws and policies. The MEI examines laws, policies and services of municipalities and rates them on the basis of their inclusivity of LGBTQ people who live and work there. Examples highlighted in the 2019 report include:

• Protection of youth from conversion therapy
• Non-discrimination in City employment
• Workplace inclusivity
• The availability of City employee domestic partner benefits
• The availability of transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits
• LGBTQ Liaisons in the City’s executive office and Police Department
• Leadership’s public position on LGBTQ Equality

This year, the City of Long Beach received a score of 100, plus 11 bonus points. Cities are rated on a scale of 0-100, with bonus points awarded for items which apply to some, but not all cities. Long Beach is one of only two cities in California with a base score of 100; the other is San Francisco.

According to the 2019 MEI:

• 88 cities scored 100 points, up from 78 last year.
• Nationally, the average city score was 60 points.
• MEI-rated cities in every region of the United States experienced mean score increases.
• The total number of municipalities offering transgender-inclusive health care benefits are a record 164 cities.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans. The report is available at www.hrc.org/mei.

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 171 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit http://longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,and YouTube.