This week, the Human Rights Campaign released its seventh annual State Equality Index — their latest national review of statewide laws and policies that affected LGBTQ people and their families over the past year. And for 2020, all six New England states placed in HRC’s highest-rated category.
Altogether, a total of 19 states and DC received the top honor, which HRC calls “Working Toward Innovative Equality.”
“The 2020 legislative session was one of the most unusual in recent memory, given the COVID-19 pandemic,” said HRC’s President Alphonso David. “However, despite the shortened sessions in many states, we saw multiple states pass pro-equality laws to protect the LGBTQ community.”
“The State Equality Index,” said Fran Hutchins, executive director of Equality Federation Institute, “tells the story of how advocates on the ground, in states across the country, achieved wins and battled tough opposition to fight for the rights of the LGBTQ community.”
“In a year of fighting the triple pandemics of coronavirus, police brutality and racism, state-based advocates continued to push back against anti-LGBTQ attacks and even secured some huge advancements for LGBTQ people,” Hutchins said.
HRC’s full State Equality Index report, including detailed scorecards for every state and a preview of the 2021 state legislative sessions, is available online at www.hrc.org/sei.
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