Municipal Equality Index
Select your state below to examine how your state rates based on its laws, policies, and services of municipalities on the basis of their inclusivity of LGBTQ people.
Select StateChattanooga, Tennessee
Back to TennesseePart I. Non-Discrimination Laws
This category evaluates whether discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited in areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations.
More InformationIf there is no state or county law, but the city has passed an ordinance of its own volition, the city will receive credit for those non-discrimination protections. However, where laws exist at both the city and the state (or county) level, the city will not receive double (or triple) points—the maximum points in this section are capped at 30.
A 3-point deduction is applied for protections that contain carve-outs prohibiting individuals from using facilities consistent with their gender identity. Up to six points will be deducted for religious exemptions that single out sexual orientation and/or gender identity in.
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
|
State | County | City | Available |
---|---|---|---|---|
Employment | ||||
State | County | Municipal | Available | |
Employment | 00 |
00 |
00 |
55 |
Housing | ||||
State | County | Municipal | Available | |
Housing | 00 |
00 |
00 |
55 |
Public Accomodations | ||||
State | County | Municipal | Available | |
Public Accomodations | 00 |
00 |
00 |
55 |
Total
0
|
Out of
30
|
|||
Total
0
|
Out of
30
|
Bonus Points
Cities that require all single-user sex-segregated facilities within the city like bathrooms and changing rooms to be all-gender will receive two bonus points. Cities that designate all single-occupancy facilities within its own buildings as all-gender by policy will receive half credit (one bonus point). So-called “conversion therapy,” sometimes called “sexual orientation change efforts” or “reparative therapy,” encompasses a range of dangerous and discredited practices that falsely claim to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Cities that enact laws to protect youth from conversion therapy will garner two bonus points.
State | County | City | Available | |
---|---|---|---|---|
All-Gender Single Occupancy Facilities | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
All-Gender Single Occupancy Facilities | 0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Protects Youth From Conversion Therapy | 0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Total
0
|
Out of
4
|
|||
Total
0
|
Out of
4
|
Part II. Municipality as Employer
By offering equivalent benefits and protections to LGBTQ employees, fostering an inclusive workplace, and by awarding contracts to fair-minded businesses, municipalities commit themselves to treating LGBTQ employees equally.
More InformationCities can adopt internal hiring policies that prohibit employment discrimination (including hiring, promotions, termination, and compensation) on the basis of sexual orientation (6 points) and gender identity or expression (6 points).
It is a fundamental principle of fairness that an employee should be judged on his or her ability to perform the responsibilities of a position, and not by who they are or whom they love. A state-level non-discrimination law or a local non-discrimination ordinance alone is not sufficient to earn these points—personnel policies must enumerate sexual orientation and gender identity in order for the city to receive credit.
Transgender-Inclusive Healthcare Benefits:
Cities, like other employers, provide health benefits to their employees, but some employees routinely have critical and medically necessary treatment excluded from the health care options they are offered. Transgender employees are routinely denied health care coverage for gender-affirming care such as hormone replacement therapy, gender confirmation surgery, and other medically necessary care.
Municipalities must provide at least one health insurance plan (6 points) that provides coverage for transgender health care needs (gender confirmation surgeries, hormone replacement therapy, and other gender-affirming care). The policy must affirmatively include gender-affirming care; a lack of exclusion is not sufficient for an award of points because this care is routinely presumed to be not covered.
City Contractor Non-Discrimination Ordinance:
Cities who take fair workplaces seriously also require city contractors to have inclusive non-discrimination policies. An equal opportunity ordinance, as these are sometimes known, requires city contractors to adopt non-discrimination policies that prohibit adverse employment actions on the basis of sexual orientation (3 points) and gender identity or expression (3 points).
Inclusive Workplace:
This section assesses whether a municipality has LGBTQ-specific programming to attract LGBTQ applicants and promote diversity in the workplace. Cities will receive credit if they have any one of the following: an LGBTQ employee resource group open to all city employees, LGBTQ-inclusive diversity training for all city staff, or a recruitment program that actively advertises available positions to the LGBTQ community.
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
|
State | County | City | Available |
---|---|---|---|---|
Non-Discrimination in City Employment | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Non-Discrimination in City Employment | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
77 |
77 |
Trans-Inclusive Healthcare Benefits | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Transgender-Inclusive Healthcare Benefits | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
6 |
6 |
City Contractor Non-Discrimination Ordinance | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
City Contractor Non-Discrimination Ordinance | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
00 |
33 |
Inclusive Workplace | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Inclusive Workplace | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
2 |
Total
20
|
Out of
28
|
|||
Total
20
|
Out of
28
|
Bonus Points
Cities will receive credit for offering equal benefits to both same- and different-sex domestic partners of city employees and their legal dependents. Even after nationwide marriage equality, it is important to respect the diverse family forms that exist by expanding domestic partner benefits to include all families.
State | County | City | Available | |
---|---|---|---|---|
City Employee Domestic Partner Benefits | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
City Employee Domestic Partner Benefits | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
1 |
Total
0
|
Out of
1
|
|||
Total
0
|
Out of
1
|
Part III. Municipal Services
This section assesses the efforts of the city to ensure LGBTQ constituents are included in city services and programs.
More InformationA Human Rights Commission will be worth 5 points if its purpose is largely or entirely educational. These commissions may hold community discussions, screen movies, present panels, take public comment, advise the city on matters of diversity and inclusion, develop policies and strategies for making the city more inclusive, and undertake other similar types of endeavors.
Enforcement of Non-Discrimination Ordinance by Human Rights Commission
Where, in addition to the functions listed above, a Human Rights Commission has the authority to conciliate, issue a right to sue letter, or otherwise enforce non-discrimination protections, that commission will earn two bonus points.
LGBTQ Liaison to City Executive:
Similarly, an LGBTQ liaison to the Mayor or City Manager’s office (5 points) is responsible for looking at city policies and services through an LGBTQ lens and speaking up when a policy or service might exclude LGBTQ people. This position is also known to be a friendly ear to constituents who want to bring LGBTQ-related issues to the city government but are fearful they might be dismissed or misunderstood.
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
|
State | County | City | Available |
---|---|---|---|---|
Human Rights Commission | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Human Rights Commission | Not Applicable |
0 |
0 |
5 |
Enforcement Mechanism in Human Rights Commission | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Enforcement Mechanism in Human Rights Commission | Not Applicable |
0 |
0 |
2 |
LGBTQ Liaison in City Executive's Office | ||||
State | County | Municipal | Available | |
LGBTQ Liaison in City Executive's Office | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
5 |
5 |
Total
5
|
Out of
12
|
|||
Total
5
|
Out of
12
|
Bonus Points
The MEI also evaluates city services that address segments of the LGBTQ population who are particularly vulnerable and may have specific and acute needs. Cities that expressly prohibit bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity in all youth-facing city programs, activities, services, and facilities will earn up to two bonus points (1 bonus point for sexual orientation/1 bonus point for gender identity). These policies should cover, for example, the city’s parks and recreation department, library programs, and any other department or service that incorporate young people. While all people age, battle illness, struggle to fit in, and work hard to improve their lot in life, these struggles can be different and particularly difficult for LGBTQ people. Cities can address these challenges by offering services—or supporting a third party provider of these services—to LGBTQ youth, LGBTQ elders, LGBTQ homeless people, people who are HIV-positive or living with AIDS and the transgender community (2 bonus points for each service the city provides).
State | County | City | Available | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Youth Bullying Prevention Policy for City Services | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Youth Bullying Prevention Policy for City Services | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
00 |
11 |
City provides services to/supports LGBTQ youth | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
City provides services to/supports LGBTQ youth | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
2 |
City provides services to/supports LGBTQ homeless people | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
City provides services to/supports LGBTQ homeless people | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
2 |
City provides services to/supports LGBTQ elders | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
City provides services to/supports LGBTQ elders | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
2 |
City provides services to/supports people living with HIV/AIDS | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
City provides services to/supports people living with HIV/AIDS | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
2 |
City provides services to/supports the transgender community | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
City provides services to/supports the transgender community | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
2 |
Total
0
|
Out of
12
|
|||
Total
0
|
Out of
12
|
Part IV. Law Enforcement
Fair enforcement of the law includes responsible reporting of hate crimes and engaging with the LGBTQ community in a thoughtful and respectful way.
More InformationAn LGBTQ police liaison (10 points) can serve as an important bridge between the community and law enforcement. The liaison is an advocate for fair and respectful enforcement of the law as well as an officer that the community can rely upon to appropriately respond to sensitive issues.
Reported 2017 Hates Crimes Statistics to the FBI:
Respectful and fair enforcement includes responsible reporting of hate crimes, including for hate crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity, to the FBI (12 points). Such reporting demonstrates law enforcement’s attention to these crimes and ensures that the larger law enforcement community is able to accurately gauge the scope and responses to them.
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
|
State | County | City | Available |
---|---|---|---|---|
LGBTQ Police Liaison or Task Force | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
LGBTQ Police Liaison or Task Force | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
10 |
Reported 2017 Hates Crimes Statistics to the FBI | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Reported 2017 Hates Crimes Statistics to the FBI | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
12 |
12 |
Total
12
|
Out of
22
|
|||
Total
12
|
Out of
22
|
Part V. Leadership on LGBTQ Equality
This category measures the city leadership’s commitment to fully include the LGBTQ community and to advocate for full equality.
More InformationThis rates city leadership (on a scale of 0 to 5 points) on its public statements on matters of equality, particularly where the city leadership pushes for equality in the face of substantial adversity. For example, a city would be awarded points if the city council passed a resolution in support of a state level non-discrimination bill—while this is not something the city can legislate, it is a powerful statement of the city’s principles nonetheless. The level of support for pro-equality legislation is also reflected in this section.
Leadership’s Pro-Equality Legislative or Policy Efforts:
This rates the persistence of the city leadership in pursuing legislation or policies that further equality (on a scale of 0 to 3 points). Note that even small or unsuccessful efforts are recognized in this category, and that these efforts may be heavily weighted if the city’s political environment is not conducive to passing pro-equality legislation.
Sexual Orientation
Gender Identity
|
State | County | City | Available |
---|---|---|---|---|
Leadership's Public Position on LGBTQ Equality | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Leadership's Public Position on LGBTQ Equality | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
5 |
0-5 |
Leadership's Pro-Equality Legislative or Policy Efforts | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
Leadership's Pro-Equality Legislative or Policy Efforts | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
3 |
0-3 |
Total
8
|
Out of
8
|
|||
Total
8
|
Out of
8
|
Bonus Points
Finally, this section also includes two opportunities to earn bonus points: first, for openly LGBTQ people holding elected or appointed office in the municipality (two bonus points); and second, for cities who do all they can in the face of state law that restricts their ability to pass LGBTQ-inclusive laws or policies (three bonus points).
State | County | Municipal | Available | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Openly LGBTQ elected or appointed municipal leaders | ||||
State | County | Municipal | Available | |
Openly LGBTQ elected or appointed municipal leaders | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
2 |
City test limits of restrictive state law | ||||
State | County | City | Available | |
City test limits of restrictive state law | Not Applicable |
Not Applicable |
0 |
3 |
Total
0
|
Out of
5
|
|||
Total
0
|
Out of
5
|
Total Score
Total scores are on a scale of 0 - 100. A score of 0 means the state does not have laws, policies, and services that support LGBTQ people.
Score | Available | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Score | Available | |||
Standard
45
|
Out of
100
|
|||
Total
45
|
Out of
100
|
|||
Bonus
0
|
Out of
22
|
|||
Bonus
0
|
Out of
22
|
|||
Total
45
|
Out of
100
|
|||
Standard
45
|
Out of
100
|