Dec. 6th, 2021 2:04pm
(WGTD)---The Human Rights Campaign, one of the leading LGBTQ+ rights organizations in the country, announced Monday that the City of Kenosha ranked last in Wisconsin in their annual “Municipal Equality Index” out of the localities surveyed in the state. The city earned 39 out of 100 making Kenosha the least equal municipality in Wisconsin by some 36 points, according to HRC.
The index, now in its tenth year, measures how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are across the country for LGBTQ+ people. Kenosha took hits for not having laws that specifically protect LGBTQ+ people against discrimination in employment and public accommodations such as hotels and restaurants. The Supreme Court ruled in 2020 in Bostock vs Clayton County that sexual orientation and gender discrimination is prohibited under federal employment law. In response HRC says the decision faces future legal challenges and the organization encourages localities to still enact “explicitly LGBTQ+ inclusive comprehensive non-discrimination laws.”
Other scoring areas where Kenosha took a hit include not having a city wide human rights commission or an LGBTQ liaison at city hall. Racine has both. Kenosha also received a score of “0” for not having an inclusive workplace according to HRC. There are currently no openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed leaders in city hall.
Kenosha’s score in the survey has been trending downward on average in recent years. The city scored 43 points in 2017.
2021 HRC MEI scores from across the state:
- Madison - 100
- Milwaukee- 100
- Appleton - 94
- Racine - 86
- Green Bay - 84
- Oshkosh- 75
- Kenosha - 39
Read the survey here:
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