Perfect score for San Diego from the HRC on LGBT equality

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – San Diego received a perfect score Wednesday on a list of gay and lesbian equality, while medium-sized local cities fell below the state average.

The 2014 Municipal Equality Index, put out by the Human Rights Campaign, measures LGBT inclusion in municipal law and policy.

“In just three years, the number of municipalities earning top marks for their treatment of LGBT citizens has more than tripled,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “Simply put, in this country there is an ongoing race to the top to treat all people, including LGBT people, fairly under the law, and it’s time our state and federal laws caught up.”

San Diego was one of 38 cities in the U.S. to receive a perfect score.

Other cities in the region included in the rankings were Chula Vista, 61; Escondido, 60; and Oceanside, 57.

The state average score was 73 and the national average was 59, according to the HRC.

Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California, said the study shows two Californias.

“Most of our larger cities and more progressive municipalities like Los Angeles, Long Beach and San Francisco have perfect or near-perfect scores, while many other cities — particularly in the Central Valley, Orange County and more rural areas — fall far short of the mark,” he said.

The rankings included the 200 largest cities in the U.S., all 50 state capitals, the four largest cities in each state, the municipalities with a state’s largest public university, and a mix of large, medium and small communities with concentrations of same-sex couples.