Hunter
01/02/23
The cities of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids both received perfect scores from a national human rights organization for their LGBTQ inclusion.
The 2022 Municipal Equality Index scored Cedar Rapids at a 100, up from 97 last year; Iowa City has now had perfect scores on the Index for nine straight years. They are among 120 cities nationwide with 100 or more points on the Index.
Advocates say Republican-led legislation recently has made it more difficult for lesbian, gay, transgender and queer people to live in Iowa, citing a recent ban on trans girls and women participating in sports aligning with their gender.
Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said in a statement that the score will spur the city to continue to build a community where everyone can feel safe, welcome and valued. A diversity, equity and inclusion manager was hired by the city in October 2021 for that purpose.
In Iowa City, Mayor Bruce Teague’s news release says the city’s nine straight perfect scores establishes them as a welcoming place for the LGBTQ+ community. The Municipal Equity Index gave Iowa City a bonus score of 112 for their additional efforts.
The Gazette reports that the Iowa City Human Rights Commission is celebrating its 60th anniversary later this year, with programming planned to mark the milestone.
You can see the full report at https://www.hrc.org