Montclair earns perfect score of 100 in Municipality Equality Index
Published on November 21, 2024
Full Press Release Below:
Montclair earns maximum score of 100 for the fourth year in a row in Human Rights Campaign's 2024 Municipal Equality Index
Montclair, NJ, November 21 - Today, the Human Rights Campaign released its annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI), which measures over 500 municipalities nationwide on how inclusive their laws, policies, and services are for the LGBTQ+ community. For the fourth year in a row, Montclair has achieved the maximum possible score of 100.
The MEI provides a public snapshot of how committed a given municipality is towards equality for its LGBTQ+ residents, and provides a framework for mayors, councilors, and legislators with tangible and impactful steps they can take to protect LGBTQ+ residents and employees. The index looks at five criteria: non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and a city’s leadership on LGBT+ equality.
Reacting to the news, Montclair Mayor Dr. Renee Baskerville said, “Before becoming Mayor, I served on the council for 12 years, where I spearheaded new LGBTQ-inclusive initiatives, like introducing legislation for gender-neutral bathrooms and ensuring we had representation from the LGBTQ community on the Civil Rights Commission. Before these policies, Montclair had not achieved a score of 100 on this index, which I found unacceptable. Now I am proud to see that our work has resulted in a perfect score in four straight years. While we celebrate this important recognition today, it is certainly not a finish line; we must build upon this success to ensure every member of our diverse community feels welcome and their voices are heard.”
Deputy Mayor and Councilor-at-Large Susan Shin Andersen said: “I am very proud to see Montclair achieve the highest score possible on the Municipality Equality Index. One of the reasons I wanted to serve on the Council was to further cultivate a community where all people - regardless of their identity - feel like they can thrive, and not just survive. This important work is not over, and it is especially critical during these times that our State and local governments remain committed to protecting the rights of the LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities. Our Council will continue to work tirelessly towards inclusive policies and laws that support the rights of all Montclair LGBTQ+ residents.
The perfect score of 100 reflects a steady and continuing track record of successful policies and initiatives that Montclair has enacted to foster LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Over the past few years, the township has passed new laws to prohibit discrimination in hiring based on gender identity or expression, designated an LGBT+ Community Liaison, and passed an ordinance to require the provision of all-gender restrooms, among other LGBTQ+ laws. In addition, the township supported the creation of Out Montclair, promotes several businesses, and hosts the annual Montclair Pride Festival, ranked as one of the top suburban Pride events in the nation by Visit NJ, the state’s leading tourism organization.
For further information and to see the full scorecard, visit www.hrc.org/MEI.