LGBT SPFLD
The Human Rights Campaign has confi rmed what most of us already know: Springfi eld is a reasonably welcoming place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. HRC is a national civil rights group focused on LGBT rights. You’ve probably seen their logo: a blue square containing a yellow equal sign. The group’s annual “Municipal Equality Index” measures how well cities around the U.S. treat their LGBT residents, and Springfi eld got a respectable score of 76 out of 100 this year. Out of the seven Illinois cities ranked, Springfi eld fi nished second only behind Chicago, which got a perfect 100. Among the criteria are whether discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned in employment and public housing, what kind of services cities offer for LGBT residents and whether the city government recognizes same-sex marriages or civil unions for the purpose of employment benefi ts. Springfi eld lost points for not having an LGBT liaison to the police department or city council, not specifi cally banning discrimination based on gender identity and more. To see the full results online for Springfi eld and dozens of other cities, visit bit.ly/lgbtindex. For an interactive map of the cities, visit cdb.io/1v4A74w.