Madison Receives High Marks For LGBT-Inclusive Laws From Human Rights Campaign

Madison received high marks from the Human Rights Campaign for creating municipal laws and policies that are inclusive of the LGBT community Wednesday.

HRC’s Municipal Equity Index graded more than 350 cities across the country, including Appleton, Kenosha, Green Bay, Milwaukee, and Madison. The scores are based on nondiscrimination laws, city services for the LGBT community and employee benefits through the municipality.

Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Katie Belanger said that establishing local laws and policies can have a ripple effect within the state capital and in a community.

“That includes the business community and faith leaders and allied individuals, organizations, and movements that have stood up and said, ‘These policies are really important to us,’ and really changed the dialogue in their own community,” she said.

Madison received a perfect score of 100 from HRC. Steve Starkey, the executive director of OutReach, a Madison-based LGBT community center, said the city can be a role model to others in the state, especially since the policies can have an economic impact.

“You need to have inclusive workplace policies and you need to have government policies so that you attract the best and brightest in the field,” he said.

Green Bay and Kenosha received scores in the 50s. LGBT Center of Southeast Wisconsin president Len Iaquinta said that formalizing a relationship with Kenosha’s city hall can improve people’s lives.

“We still get a lot of reports in this community of discrimination, of bullying, of people being denied access to services, or being discourteously treated,” he said. “There’s enough of that that goes on that we know the job isn’t done yet.”

Laquinta said that more specifically, policies aimed at the transgender community have a long way to go.