HRC Releases List of Most Gay-Friendly Cities

The Human Rights Campaign released its first Municipal Equality Index Tuesday, rating 137 U.S. cities from all 50 states based on how supportive their policies are to LGBT people. Just 11 cities scored 100% on HRC's new gay-friendly index, but those locales spanned the country from New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Cambridge, Mass., to St. Louis, Portland, Seattle, and several California cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco. These cities "serve as shining examples of LGBT inclusivity, with excellent policies ranging from non-discrimination laws, equal employee benefits, and cutting-edge city services," HRC stated on its Web page announcing the index.

The 137 cities rated included all state capitals, the 50 most populous cities in the nation, and 25 each of large, mid-size, and small municipalities with the highest proportion of same-sex couples. The index rated cities based on their municipal policies surrounding 47 criteria, summarized in broad categories, which include nondiscrimination laws, relationship recognition, employment practices, inclusiveness of city services, law enforcement, and municipal leadership, according to the HRC.

See how your hometown stacked up here.