Erie HRC MEI Score Increases to 80

On December 9, 2020, Mayor Joe Schember and members of the Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council announced that the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 2020 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) scorecard for the City of Erie has increased to 80. This record high score for Erie represents a marked improvement from the City's preliminary 2018 score of 34 out of a possible 100 points.

The MEI examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people who live, work, and visit there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, municipality as employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and the city leadership's public position on equality.

The 2020 Municipal Equality Index rated 506 municipalities of varying sizes from every state.

Since June 2018, we have earned 46 points for the following policies, programs, and initiatives:

Non-Discrimination Laws +5 points (30/30)
Conversion Therapy Ban +2 points (2/2)
Non-discrimination in employment +14 point (14/14)
Trans-inclusive Health Care Benefits +6 points (6/6)
LGBTQ Liaison in Mayor's Office +5 points (5/5)
LGBTQ Police Liaison +10 points (10/10)
Leadership's Public Position on LGBTQ Equality +3 points (5/5)
Leadership's Pro-Equality Legislative or Policy Efforts +1 point (1/3)

In 2021, the Mayor's LGBTQ+ Advisory Council will strive for additional points in:

City Contractor Non-Discrimination Ordinance (6)
Youth Bullying Prevention Policy (2)
Leadership's Pro-Equality Legislative or Policy Efforts (2)
City Services to LGBTQ Youth, Homeless, Elders, those living with HIV or AIDS, and the Transgender community (10)
Reporting Hate Crimes (12)

For more information on the HRC's MEI, visit the City of Erie's website at

https://cityof.erie.pa.us/government/boards-commissions/lgbtq-council/.