Minneapolis and St. Paul earn top scores in LGBTQ inclusivity ranking

Minneapolis and St. Paul earned perfect scores for inclusive policies and practices toward LGBTQ residents in a new ranking from a national advocacy organization.

The big picture: The Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Municipal Equality Index evaluates factors such as non-discrimination laws and employer protections, with bonus points for additional measures such as support programs for LGBTQ youth.

Zoom in: While Minneapolis and St. Paul were the only cities in the state to receive a rating of 100, several other municipalities got high marks.

• Duluth scored 92 and Bloomington 82. Rochester rounded out the top five with a rating of 67.

The other side: The three other Minnesota cities included in the report didn't perform as well.

• Eden Prairie (53), Saint Cloud (50) and Minnetonka (45) lost points for what researchers said is a lack of leadership support and limited efforts to ensure LGBTQ residents are included in city services and programs.