In the twelfth edition of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Municipal Equality Index 506 municipalities across all 50 states were rated on how well they include the LGBTQ community in their laws, policies and city services. Nine were in Mississippi, and Jackson was the only one to score higher than the national average. On the other side of the spectrum, Bay St. Lois and Ocean Springs were two of the five cities nationally that received a score of zero in the index.
Cathryn Oakley, Senior Director for Legal Policy at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, says those cities that received zeros don't even report hate crime statistics to the FBI, and that's a huge issue.
"If hate crimes are not accurately reported at the local level and reported up to the FBI, it's not possible for us to really get our arms around the magnitude of the violence that LGBTQ people, and particularly transgender women of color are experiencing," Oakley said.
Jackson's high score of 79 was attributed to the city's non-discrimination ordinances and having LGBTQ liaisons in city agencies.
Oakley says in states like Mississippi, where legislators have shown a willingness to restrict the freedoms of LGBTQ people, it's important for local governments to adopt policies to protect their queer residents.
"LGBTQ people exist in every zip code in the country," Oakley said. "They absolutely, positively live all across Mississippi, and like all people, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect."
The average score for cities in Mississippi was 24 out of 100 points, well below the national average of 71.
