BOISE, Idaho — Equality for LGBTQ Idahoans inched upwards in two cities in 2021, a study released Thursday found, but officials cautioned there remains work to be done to ensure all residents are treated fairly.
The Municipal Equality Index, created by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the Equality Federation, takes into consideration factors including non-discrimination laws, municipal services for the LGBTQ+ community, and law enforcement's response to hate crimes and engagement with LGBTQ people.
Overall, Idaho received a score of 58 out of 100, significantly lower than the national average of 67. Legislators in the Gem State have long resisted extending protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation to the state's anti-discrimination laws.
Of the 506 cities listed in the MEI, seven are located in Idaho: Boise, Nampa, Meridian, Moscow, Coeur D’Alene, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls.
Boise’s 2021 MEI score is 77, a two-point increase from last year, and Meridian had a four-point increase of 54 from 50. However, Pocatello had a ten-point drop from 71 to 61. The remaining four cities' scores remained the same as the previous year.
Nampa scored the lowest of the cities surveyed, with just 18 points.
“Even though local leaders continue to pave the way forward on equality, there remains an unacceptable patchwork of laws for LGBTQ+ people across the country," said Aryn Fields, the press secretary for Human Rights Campaign. “This reinforces the need for the federal Equality Act that would provide consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service.”
In a record high since the first MEI in 2012, 110 U.S. cities received a perfect score this year. Additionally, every region of the country received a higher average score than the previous year.
"LGBTQ+ people are everywhere—in every city, county and ZIP code. Throughout its 10-year history, the Municipal Equality Index has been centered on supporting and celebrating the work municipalities do to serve LGBTQ+ people in the places they call home," said JoDee Winterhof, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs.
People can access the full Municipal Equality Index report as well as a detailed scoring rubric for every city here.
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