SOUTH BEND — In partnership with the Equality Federation, The Human Rights Campaign has released its latest Municipal Equality Index, and it ranks South Bend third among Indiana cities for LGBT inclusion, behind Bloomington and Indianapolis.
South Bend, which outlaws discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, scored 78 out of 100 on the index, which rates LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law and policy.
The average score for cities in Indiana was 65 out of 100. The national average was 55 out of 100.
South Bend scored 80 out of 100 last year. The city scored fewer bonus points this year in the areas of enforcement and “Openly LGBTQ elected or appointed municipal leaders.”
“This scorecard helps us to stay focused on inclusion, which is one of the core values of this administration," Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is openly gay, said in a statement. "South Bend is strongest when all residents feel valued and welcome, and we have worked toward that goal with efforts from passing our city’s non-discrimination ordinance to developing Indiana’s most robust City diversity and inclusion plan.”
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