Stamford Receives 'A' Grade from the Human Rights Campaign

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, has released its fourth annual report assessing LGBT equality in 408 cities across the nation, and Stamford is one of seven Connecticut municipalities to be recognized for its efforts.

Stamford improved its rating by 29 points to receive a score of 91 out of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2015 Municipal Equality Index. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) releases the yearly index for 408 cities all over the United States to show residents how their city supports LGBT people who live and work there.

“I am very pleased with our grade of 91 out of 100, which represents a significant improvement over last year. We live in an incredibly diverse city and all Stamford residents deserve fair and equal treatment,” Mayor David Martin said in a statement. “There is still more work to be done, but we have taken steps in the last year to make our city more welcoming and safe for all residents, and I will continue to do so.”

Stamford’s grade of 91places the city significantly above the Connecticut average of 74 and the national average of 56. Other Connecticut cities that were rated include Hartford, New Haven, Waterbury, Storrs (Mansfield) and New Britain.

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Earlier this year, Martin proposed a series of measures to help make Stamford more friendly to all who live, work and visit Stamford. They included revisions to city ordinances to strengthen protections for LGBT employees and ensure that city contractors maintain non-discrimination policies. Both of these revisions were approved by the Board of Representatives at their September 8 meeting. The Mayor also appointed Deputy Corporation Counsel Vicki Cooper and Assistant Police Chief Tom Wuennemann as LBGT liaisons to ensure concerns of LGBT residents can be heard and acted upon.

Stamford’s score sheet can be found here.