ICYMI: Cities Are Holding the Line on Equality Even as Anti-LGBTQ+ Attacks Grow

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation released new findings from the 14th annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI) — the nation’s most comprehensive review of LGBTQ+ laws, policies, and services at the city level.

To kick off this year’s MEI, HRC held an in-person press conference in Salt Lake City with Mayor Erin Mendenhall and Cathryn Oakley, Senior Director of Legal Policy at HRC and founding author of the MEI, spotlighting Salt Lake City’s perfect score and leadership in adopting three official city flags honoring LGBTQ+, trans, and Black communities — a visible stance against restrictive state policy.

“This work comes from the heart. We have continued to do everything in our power [to support the LGBTQ+ community] because it matters to keep doing the work. Earlier this year, the state passed a bill that effectively banned government buildings from flying any [non-official] flag… the result was the adoption of three additional city flags; one representing the history of Juneteenth, one representing our LGBTQIA residents, and our loving acceptance of those residents, and another representing our transgender community and our commitment to seeing and celebrating them,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall at the 2025 MEI launch event. “They represent our shared values of belonging and acceptance. That flag flies proudly saying to everyone who sees it that Salt Lake City is here for you, believes in you and loves you - because in this city we know celebrating our diverse communities does not exclude others. In fact, it unifies us. It reaffirms our commitment to celebrating the value of all of our residents, all of our visitors, all of our workers.”

Despite mounting political pressure at the state and federal levels — including threats to suspend local funding for “DEI” efforts — a record-breaking 132 out of 506 cities earned a perfect score of 100 on the 2025 MEI. These cities represent a combined population of approximately 49 million people.

But the chilling effect of anti-LGBTQ+ policymaking is clear: for the first time in seven years, the national average score dropped, falling from 72 to 70.

“The story of this report is best told with two statistics - first, for the first time in a long time, the average national score fell. The second statistic… is that we have more 100-point scorers than we ever have had before… It really speaks to the situation that cities across the country find themselves in, where they are facing increasing pressure to walk away from initiatives that protect many communities, including but not limited to LGBTQ+ people, and to roll back those efforts and dial back service,” said Cathryn Oakley, HRC Senior Director of Legal Policy and MEI founding author. “But what we see at the same time are more cities that are showing their courage, their creativity, their persistence, determination, and an unwillingness to back down from bullies. While the situation remains very difficult for cities around the country to do this work, there are so many wonderful cities - like our friends here in Salt Lake - who have been doing a truly phenomenal job to find ways to respect, support, appreciate, and serve LGBTQ+ folks in their community.” 

Nearly 70 cities found innovative ways to press forward on inclusion, even as their states attempted to restrict local authority. Salt Lake City was among them — signaling that municipal leadership can still push forward when state lawmakers refuse to.

Top 2025 MEI Findings

• 132 cities earned perfect scores. This is the most in MEI history.
• Only 5 cities scored zero.
• 64 localities earned “All-Star City” status, scoring 85+ points without statewide protections.
• 75% of states saw their average score decline.
• The Plains region (ND, SD, NE, KS, MO) saw the largest drop in recent years: –11 points. 

Cities in 21 states scored high marks despite lacking state-level nondiscrimination laws. First-time All-Star Cities include Anchorage (AK), Athens-Clarke County (GA), Cedar Rapids (IA), Salt Lake City (UT), Madison (WI), and Casper (WY) — sending a clear message that equality is possible even where state law works against it.

Local governments continue to serve as the first—and sometimes only—line of protection for LGBTQ+ residents. But with rights increasingly vulnerable, the 2025 MEI underscores the urgent need for the federal Equality Act, one of HRC’s top legislative priorities, to ensure consistent protections across the country.

The full 2025 MEI report, including city scorecards and a searchable database, is available at www.hrc.org/mei.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.