Cincinnati Earns Top Marks in Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Equality Survey

While Cincinnati was one of eight "all star" Ohio cities on the national list, Ohio lawmakers have railed against transgender rights and healthcare all year.

Dec 1, 2023 at 12:20 pm

Earlier this year, HRC declared a “National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans" for the first time, citing an uptick in hateful and harmful rhetoric and policy, particularly against transgender people. Photo: Benson Kua

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Cincinnati has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as one of the nation's top cities for LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

HRC announced in November the twelfth edition of the Municipal Equality Index (MEI), a comprehensive assessment by HRC and the Equality Federation Institute.

The index evaluates municipal policies, laws and services concerning LGBTQ+ equality. In the 2023 MEI, 129 cities, including Cincinnati, scored a perfect 100. The perfect scores in the 2023 report are an eightfold increase from 2022.

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, praised the resilient efforts of cities and towns across the country.

"Even when anti-LGBTQ+ extremists in state capitals are working to undermine their progress, mayors and city council members keep fighting to make sure that LGBTQ+ people in their communities - especially trans people - are supported and lifted up to the fullest extent possible."

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Earlier this year, HRC declared a “National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans" for the first time, citing an uptick in hateful and harmful rhetoric and policy, particularly against transgender people.

While Cincinnati was one of eight "all star" Ohio cities on the national list, Ohio lawmakers have railed against transgender rights and healthcare all year. The bills outlined below have yet to become law yet, but all have advanced closer to the governor's desk:

House Bill 6, or the "Save Women’s Sports Act," seeks to ban transgender girls and women from competing in sports from kindergarten through college.
House Bill 8, or the "Parents’ Bill of Rights," would force all teachers and school staff — including social workers and school counselors — to out LGBTQ+ students to their parents.
House Bill 68, or the "Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act," would ban gender-affirming care in the state of Ohio for minors.
House Bill 183, or the "Bathroom Bill," would require that all restrooms and locker rooms in Ohio’s schools and colleges be designated for use by individuals who are one “biological sex.”
House Bill 245 seeks to ban drag performances in "public places," other than “adult cabarets.” The bill specifically calls out drag performers by referencing “performers or entertainers who exhibit a gender identity that is different from the performer’s or entertainer’s gender assigned at birth using clothing, makeup, prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts, or other physical markers.”

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The report underscores the challenges felt by LGBTQ+ communities facing state-level legislation on transgender-inclusive health benefits for municipal employees, with 42 cities unable to offer the same benefits to dependent minors due to state law restrictions.

Fran Hutchins, Executive director of the Equality Federation Institute, emphasized the crucial role of local-level protections amid increasing attacks on LGBTQ+ rights at the state level.

"Local advocates and community leaders are finding new, creative ways to keep their communities safe, to let queer and trans people know they are loved and belong, no matter what discriminatory state laws are passed," said Hutchins.

View Cincinnati's full Municipal Equality Index report below:

PDF — MEI-2023-Cincinnati-Ohio.pdf

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About The Author

Madeline Fening

Madeline Fening is CityBeat’s investigative news reporter. Proudly born and raised in Middletown, she attended Bowling Green State University before moving to Austin, Texas where she dabbled in documentary filmmaking, digital news and bartending. Madeline then moved to Cincinnati to work for WCPO 9 News as an...