---

The City of Asbury Park has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign [HRC] for making inroads in being an LGBTQ inclusive community, according to a news statement.

In its 2016 Municipal Equality Index [MEI], which evaluates everything from laws and policies to the degree of services offered, the HRC rated Asbury Park third on the state list behind Jersey City and Lambertville.

“The history of the LGBTQ community embracing Asbury Park goes back decades, and has become a part of Asbury Park’s diverse and thriving identity,” Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said in the written statement. “This score is a sign that it’s not just a part of Asbury Park’s past, but something the City is determined to protect and grow into the future. We’re so proud to see this jump in our numbers from last year’s, and it motivates us even more to bring that score up higher next year.”

According to the report, the city’s greatest gains were made via categories related to Law Enforcement and Leadership on LGBTQ Equality. The city scored 83 out of 100 possible points, a 32 percent jump over its 2015 score. The average score nation-wide was 55, and 25 percent of those reviewed scoring over 75.

“Asbury Park thanks the Human Rights Campaign for again including this City as a municipality for review,” Mayor John Moor said. “The HRC does cities a real service by putting this information together, and leaders in any municipality should consider and evaluate the Index’s criteria. As leaders of the City, it’s helpful to us to know where we stand and where we can do better.”

The cities included in the 2016 rating included all 50 state capitals as well as the 200 largest cities in the nation, the five largest municipalities in each state, cities which are home to the state’s two largest public universities, 75 municipalities with a high proportion of same-sex couples, and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation state groups, members, and supporters. The MEI team conducted independent research on each, based on publicly available information. They then sent a draft to every city for review.

“The LGBTQ community is such an integral part of Asbury Park,” Councilwoman Eileen Chapman said. “Our world is growing to be more accepting, but that doesn’t mean that we as a municipality are any less committed to protecting and serving the LGTBQ community, which is such a valued part of this city.”

For more information and to view Asbury Park’s full scorecard, visit www.hrc.org/mei.

———————————————————————-

Follow the Asbury Park Sun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Asbury Park Sun is affiliated with the triCityNews newspaper.

---