Asbury Park Shows Gains In Equality Index
National Human Rights Campaign Survey Measures Inclusivity
A National Survey by the Human Rights Campaign shows the Asbury Park has made strides in a scorecard that measures LGBTQ inclusivity in city laws and policies, municipal officials announced Friday.
“The LGBTQ community has been a long-standing part of Asbury Park’s history, and an instrumental part of the City’s current period of revitalization and growth,” Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn said. “We are proud that the HRC is recognizing our pledge to support this vibrant community. Our score continues to increase year over year and serves as a testament to the City’s ongoing commitment to protect and serve.”
The 2017 Municipal Equality Index Scorecard evaluates the degree to which cities’ laws, policies and services explicitly include the LGBTQ community, officials said in a written statement.
The survey rates 506 municipalities from across the nation, including 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities, the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, the cities home to the state’s two largest public universities, 75 cities and municipalities that have high proportions of same-sex couples, and 98 other cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation groups and supporters.
The City’s final score was 91 out of 100, up 8 points from its 2016 score of 83. It ranked fourth out of the twelve New Jersey cities surveyed, coming in fourth behind Jersey City [100], Lambertville [98] and Hoboken [92].
For more information, visit www.hrc.org/mei.
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