Rockford Earns Perfect Score

The Human Rights Campaign recently released its annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI) scorecard. The MEI examines the laws, policies and services of municipalities and rates them on the basis of their inclusivity of LGBTQ people who live and work in the city. The City has participated in the scorecard since 2018 and has improved by 41 points. For 2024, the City scored 100/100 for the third year in a row.

Among other things, the City has adopted a Non-Discrimination Ordinance for City contractors; included transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits; established a Community Relations Commission to address issues of equality, equity and discrimination; proclaimed June as LGBTQ Pride Month; created LGBTQIA+ Liaisons for both the City and the Rockford Police Department; and more widely distributed information on City job openings.

"The MEI Scorecard serves as a vital benchmark, offering cities a way to track their progress and ensure accountability," says Mayor Tom McNamara. "I'm incredibly proud that we've once again achieved a perfect score. This accomplishment reflects our unwavering commitment to fostering inclusivity for our employees, residents, and the entire community."

View the full survey at www.hrc.org/mei.