PRESS RELEASE

For seven 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 only 78 out of 506 cities nationwide to achieve a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index (MEI), up from 68 last year.

“We are proud to be recognized once again for our commitment to improving the quality of life for our LGBTQ community,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Long Beach is and will remain a welcoming place for all.”

Long Beach has long recognized LGBTQ rights in its municipal laws and policies. Examples highlighted in the 2018 report include the Non-Discrimination Laws pertaining to Employment, Housing, and Public Accommodations; City Contractor Non-Discrimination Ordinance; Inclusive Workplace; Transgender-Inclusive Healthcare Benefits; Non-Discrimination in City Employment; the Human Rights Commission; Non-Discrimination Ordinance Enforcement by Human Rights Commission; LGBTQ Liaison in City Executive’s Office; LGBTQ Liaison/Task Force in Police Department; Reported 2016 Hate Crimes Statistics to the FBI; Leadership’s Public Position on LGBTQ Equality and Leadership’s Pro-Equality Legislative or Policy Efforts.

This year the City of Long Beach received a new record score of 100, plus eleven 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 tied with San Diego for the second highest ranking in the State with San Francisco taking the top spot. The three cities are the only in the State to receive a score of 100 before bonus points.

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. The 2018 MEI rated 506 cities throughout the nation that together, have a total population of 94.2 million.

According to the 2018 MEI:

• 78 cities scored 100 points, up from 68 last year.
• Only 25 percent of the cities scored over 83 points.
• Nationally, the average city score was 58 points.
• In California, the average score was 77, up one point from last year.
• The total number of municipalities offering transgender-inclusive health care benefits are a record 147 cities, up from 111 in 2017.

The 506 cities rated by the MEI include the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the United States, the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, 99 cities home to the state’s two largest public universities (including undergraduate and graduate enrollment), 25 cities and municipalities that have high proportions of same-sex couples, and 98 cities selected by members and supporters of Human Rights Campaign and Equality Federation state organizations.

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.