LGBTQ Equality Ranking: How North Carolina Cities Rank

CHARLOTTE, NC — When it comes to inclusiveness and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, not all major cities in North Carolina are on the same page, according to a new ranking.

HRC, which is the largest LGBTQ-rights group in the U.S., issues its annual MEI measures to highlight the effectiveness of local governments to ensure inclusion of LGBTQ rights in their laws, policies, and services. HRC ranks communities on non-discrimination laws and how a jurisdiction acts as an employer, as well as its services, law enforcement, and the public position on equality of its leaders.

In our state, the top cities for LGBTQ inclusiveness and protections are Chapel Hill, Greensboro and Carrboro. Cary, Wilmington and Fayetteville came in with the lowest scores, according to the survey.

“The town did a great job, we wanted to really concentrate on this,” Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger said, Chapelboro.com reported. “We met last year and said ‘what do we still need to do’ – because the state still doesn’t have any guidelines here – and ‘what can we do to get a better score but also a better quality of life in Chapel Hill?’”

Statewide, however, there is more work that needs to be done so that laws have parity with other states. North Carolina does not have legal protections for transgender individuals and is one of 13 states where crimes targeting gender identity or sexual orientation are not considered hate crimes, the website said.

Here's how North Carolina cities scored with links to their reports:

• Chapel Hill — 86 out of 100
• Greensboro — 79 out of 100
• Carrboro — 76 out of 100
• Durham — 65 out of 100
• Raleigh — 64 out of 100
• Charlotte — 62 out of 100
• Winston-Salem — 54 out of 100
• Fayetteville — 39 out of 100
• Wilmington — 29 out of 100
• Cary — 0 out of 100

More information about the MEI 2020 scores may be found here.

Michael O'Connell, Patch staff, contributed