The City of Gaithersburg earned a score of 100 points in the 11^th annual Municipal Equality Index, an initiative of the Human Rights Campaign that examines the inclusivity of laws, policies and services with respect to the LGBTQ+ community. The City’s score in 2021 was also 100. The Index used 49 different criteria to rate 506 cities across the country. The average score nationally was 68, up one point from 2021 and marking the fifth consecutive year of national average increases.

Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. Gaithersburg achieved additional points in 2022 for having all-gender single occupancy facilities and having a youth bulling prevention policy for City services. Read the City’s scorecard here. The City has also provided Transgender-Inclusive Healthcare benefits for more than eight years and continues to work with the HRC on providing its required documentation.   

“We pride ourselves on being a welcoming community, and I think this rating affirms our commitment to that,” said Mayor Jud Ashman. “Regardless of where you come from, your sexual orientation, or how you identify, we want all people to feel that Gaithersburg is a place where you can comfortably engage with your local government and enjoy freedom of expression.”

The full Municipality Equality Index can be found at https://www.hrc.org/mei. For more information on City of Gaithersburg initiatives, contact Deputy City Manager Dennis Enslinger at [email protected].