Nov 19, 2021 - News

West Des Moines nabs a perfect score for LGBTQ+ inclusion

Illustration of the state of Iowa casting a shadow made of the colors of the Pride flag.

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

West Des Moines achieved a perfect score for LGBTQ+ inclusion in city policies and services in the latest annual Municipal Equality Index released this week by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF) and the Equality Federation.

Why it matters: It's a tool to understand how well cities are doing and rates more than 500 based on factors like non-discrimination laws, employment, law enforcement and leadership.

By the numbers: Iowa City and Dubuque also pulled in the top score of 100 points.

The big picture: The national average was 67 points, a record high in the ten years of the annual report.

  • Of note: 40 states introduced anti-LGTBQ+ legislation in 2021, the report notes.

The bottom line: All of Iowa’s cities scored better than the national average but there’s still room for improvement.

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