City of Akron Earns a Perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Municipal Equality Index

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released the 2024 Municipal Equality Index (MEI). Akron has once again earned a perfect score making this the 7th year out of the last 8 the city has reached this accomplishment. This year, Akron earned a raw score of 108 which is the highest the city has ever seen since first starting to participate in the index back in 2015. Akron has also been named an “All-Star City” by the Human Rights Campaign for earning over 85 points despite the state of Ohio lacking non-discrimination statutes that explicitly protect sexual orientation and gender identity. View Akron’s scorecard here.

The HRC’s Municipal Equality Index examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are in cities and towns across the country. It provides a public snapshot of how committed a given city or town is to LGBTQ+ equality and a framework for mayors, councilors, and administrators around the country with impactful steps they can take to protect their LGBTQ+ residents and staff.

The MEI 2024 suggests that LGBTQ+ equality is making significant strides at the local level, establishing a warrant for continued work to advance equality at the national level.