HRC’s Municipal Equality Index to Add 98 New Cities to 2016 Report

Post submitted by Collen Kutney, State and Municipal Program Manager

For the first time, The Municipal Equality Index (MEI), in conjunction with the Equality Federation, asked members and supporters to vote on the new cities to be rated.

The MEI is a nationwide evaluation of municipal laws, policies and services and rates them on the basis of their inclusiveness of LGBTQ people who live and work there. Previously, the MEI chose cities based on several criteria including the 50 state capitals, the top 200 largest cities in the country, cities with a high proportion of same-sex couples, the top five largest cities in each state and the cities with the two largest public universities (undergraduate and graduate enrollment).

The MEI rates each municipality in five categories: Non-Discrimination Laws, Municipality as Employer, Municipal Services, Law Enforcement and Relationship with the LGBTQ Community.

With the help of the Equality Federation and state and local advocates, five cities were nominated in each state. Members and supporters were asked to choose two cities they would like to see rated in the MEI. The nominees were small and large cities from different regions of the state.

Ninety-eight cities will be added to the MEI to create a total of 506 cities rated across the country. The 2016 MEI will be published in the fall. To see the full 2015 MEI, click here.

Here are the 98 cities that will be added to the MEI:

Florence, Alabama

Hoover, Alabama

Homer, Alaska

Wasilla, Alaska

Avondale, Arizona

Flagstaff, Arizona

Conway, Arkansas

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Palm Desert, California

Santa Monica, California

Aspen, Colorado

Littleton, Colorado

Fairfield, Connecticut

Norwalk, Connecticut

Bethany Beach, Delaware

Milford, Delaware

Coral Gables, Florida

Daytona Beach, Florida

Roswell, Georgia

Sandy Springs, Georgia

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

Moscow, Idaho

Carbondale, Illinois

Peoria, Illinois

Muncie, Indiana

Terre Haute, Indiana

Dubuque, Iowa

West Des Moines, Iowa

Emporia, Kansas

Hutchinson, Kansas

Berea, Kentucky

Morehead, Kentucky

Alexandria, Louisiana

Monroe, Louisiana

Columbia (Howard County), Maryland

Hagerstown, Maryland

Brunswick, Maine

Scarborough, Maine

Arlington, Massachusetts

Salem, Massachusetts

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Traverse City, Michigan

Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Minnetonka, Minnesota

Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

Ocean Springs, Mississippi

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

St. Charles, Missouri

Kalispell, Montana

Whitefish, Montana

Fremont, Nebraska

North Platte, Nebraska

Elko, Nevada

Mesquite, Nevada

Keene, New Hampshire

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Hoboken, New Jersey

Princeton, New Jersey

Farmington, New Mexico

Gallup, New Mexico

Ithaca, New York

White Plains, New York

Carborro, North Carolina

Wilmington, North Carolina

Jamestown, North Dakota

Mandan, North Dakota

Dublin, Ohio

Lakewood, Ohio

Edmond, Oklahoma

Moore, Oklahoma

Ashland, Oregon

Bend, Oregon

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Narragansett, Rhode Island

Newport, Rhode Island

Greenville, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Spearfish, South Dakota

Mitchell, South Dakota

Franklin, Tennessee

Johnson City, Tennessee

Denton, Texas

Round Rock, Texas

Park City, Utah

Ogden City, Utah

Brattleboro , Vermont

Winooski, Vermont

Charlottesville, Virginia

Roanoke, Virginia

Bellingham, Washington

Kent, Washington

Charles Town, West Virginia

Lewisburg, West Virginia

Appleton, Wisconsin

OshKosh, Wisconsin

Jackson, Wyoming

Sheridan, Wyoming

www.hrc.org/blog/hrcs-municipal-equality-index-to-add-98-new-cities-to-2016-report?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

PHOTOS: Take A Trip With Jose The Hunky Traveler

Jose the “Hunky Traveler” lives in Paris, but he spends the majority of his time trotting all over the globe and documenting it on his Instagram page.

Related: PHOTOS: This Brawny Pilot Will Fly You Anywhere You Want To Go

We have no idea how he bankrolls his jet setting lifestyle. And, frankly, we don’t care, so long as he keeps taking us along on the ride.

Scroll down to see shots from Jose’s stimulating visual travelogue…

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John Oliver Breaks Oprah’s Record for Biggest Giveaway in TV History: WATCH

Last night, John Oliver took on the debt-buying industry and decided to lead by example: he created his own debt-buying company called Central Asset Recover Professionals, short for, “C.A.R.P., after the bottom-feeding fish.”

“Almost every step of how this industry is allowed to operate is problematic,” Oliver explains.

TV Line’s Michael Ausiello writes:

Soon after, he was offered nearly $15 million in medical debt for less than $60K. But instead of setting out to collect the debt, he decided to forgive it, partly because “it was the right thing to do” and partly to claim bragging rights to “the largest onetime giveaway in television history.” The previous record holder, per Oliver? Winfrey, who back in 2004 gifted each member of her entire studio audience with a free car, to the tune of $8 million.

Oliver ended the show but playfully shouting, “F–k you, Oprah!”

Watch:

The post John Oliver Breaks Oprah’s Record for Biggest Giveaway in TV History: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad.

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Gay Couple Records Uber Driver Calling Them ‘Faggots’ in Homophobic Rant: LISTEN

Lucy Thomas (above), the CEO of the anti-bullying organization Project Rockit, was riding in an Uber in Melbourne with girlfriend Chelsea Lang, when they found themselves the target of a homophobic driver.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports:

The driver, whom they know only as John, said he “hated” football because the players were “a bunch of faggots touching each other”, according to Thomas.”He went on a bit of a rant; he was cheery and jovial but he was using really offensive language,” she says.

Thomas told John she was offended by his words, which she says also included “Abo”, “spastic”, “retard” and “a six letter word with two Gs”.

“He was saying it’s okay for him to use that word [‘Abo’] because he has Aboriginal blood,” Thomas says.

John asked if the couple was gay. When Thomas’ girlfriend answered “yes”, “that’s when he really changed”, Thomas says.

“He stopped being cheery and a cloud came over him. He was very aggressive and the tone changed.”

She recorded what followed next on her smartphone.

Listen:

After being threatened by our @uber driver, my girlfriend and I stood up to him and recorded it. LISTEN: t.co/5IIdpBLSHJ #homophobia

— Lucy Thomas (@lucylockit_) June 5, 2016

Thomas said she was terrified after getting out of the cab and though Uber fired the driver, she remains fearful for her personal safety since the driver knows her address.

The post Gay Couple Records Uber Driver Calling Them ‘Faggots’ in Homophobic Rant: LISTEN appeared first on Towleroad.

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Hillary Clinton Wins Democratic Primary in Puerto Rico, Inching Toward Clinching

Hillary Clinton has won the Puerto Rico Democratic primary ahead of a major showdown in California on Tuesday.

The NYT reports:

Two days before Tuesday’s primaries in California and five other states, Mr. Sanders repeated his pledge not to concede even if Mrs. Clinton acquires enough delegates to reach 2,383, the threshold for securing the nomination.

A win in California is critical to Mr. Sanders’s plan to stay in the race through the convention and would give him a significant lift.

But with her victory in the Puerto Rico primary on Sunday, Mrs. Clinton is only 28 delegates short of the threshold and will most likely declare victory on Tuesday.

Mr. Sanders, however, insists that the convention will be contested because he is still lobbying superdelegates — party officials and state leaders who cast their final votes at the convention — to withdraw support from Mrs. Clinton and back him instead.

Hillary Clinton wins Puerto Rico, on cusp of nomination t.co/kcapLzqweE t.co/ifWdqWH2wP

— New Day (@NewDay) June 6, 2016

Clinton’s appearance on State of the Union Sunday.

The post Hillary Clinton Wins Democratic Primary in Puerto Rico, Inching Toward Clinching appeared first on Towleroad.

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President Obama Marks 35th Anniversary of AIDS Epidemic, Calls for End to the Disease

On Sunday, President Obama released a statement marking the first moments of an epidemic that would go on to take countless lives around the world:

Statement by the President on the 35th Anniversary of HIV/AIDS in America

On June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a report on what would later be understood as the first documented cases of AIDS.  The past 35 years tell a story that bends from uncertainty, fear, and loss toward resilience, innovation, and hope.

We’ve learned that stigma and silence don’t just fuel ignorance, they foster transmission and give life to a plague.  We’ve seen that testing, treatment, education, and acceptance can not only save and extend lives, but fight the discrimination that halted progress for too long.  And we’ve reaffirmed that most American of ideas – that ordinary citizens can speak out, band ourselves together like a breathtaking quilt, and change the course of our communities and our nation for the better.

Over these 35 years, American ingenuity and leadership has shaped the world’s response to this crisis.  From the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we’ve saved millions of lives at home and around the world.  My administration implemented our nation’s first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and we’ve updated it through 2020.

We’ve invested in research and evidence-based practices that have given us revolutionary tools like treatment as prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis.  We’ve made critical investments to help eliminate waiting lists for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.  We’ve continued efforts to support the promise of a vaccine.  And the Affordable Care Act has resulted in millions of individuals gaining affordable, high-quality health coverage – all without denial for pre-existing conditions like HIV.

While there is more work to do – the economically disadvantaged; gay and bisexual men, especially those who are young and Black; women of color; and transgender women all continue to face huge disparities – I’m confident that if we build upon the steps we’ve taken, we can finish the job.

Nearly five years ago, I said that an AIDS-free generation is within reach, and today, the global community is committed to ending this epidemic by 2030.  This will take American leadership, smart investments, and a commitment to ensure that all communities are heard and included as we move forward.

So today, let’s call the names.  Let’s remember those we lost too soon.  And let’s rededicate ourselves to ending this epidemic once and for all.

It would be less than a month later, on July 3, that the New York Times ran an article many will recognize.

The post President Obama Marks 35th Anniversary of AIDS Epidemic, Calls for End to the Disease appeared first on Towleroad.

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Obama's Legacy: A Domino Effect of Freedom

The president’s deft repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” set the stage for a remarkable string of LGBT wins, writes Don’t Tell Me to Wait author Kerry Eleveld.

www.advocate.com/politicians/2016/6/06/obamas-legacy-domino-effect-freedom

What Pride Looked Like in 1970 L.A., NYC

www.advocate.com/pride/2016/6/06/what-pride-looked-1970-la-nyc