Release Date: November 17,2023

City of Akron Earns A Perfect 100 On The Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Municipal Equality Index

Akron, Ohio, Nov. 16, 2023 — This week, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released the 2023 Municipal Equality Index (MEI). Once again, the City of Akron under Mayor Horrigan’s leadership has earned a perfect 100. View Akron’s scorecard here.

The HRC's Municipal Equality Index is the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ+ inclusion in municipal law and policy and shows how cities across the country continue to take the lead in supporting LGBTQ+ people and workers. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.

“We’re proud to once again earn a perfect score on the HRC’s Municipal Equality Index,” said Mayor Horrigan. “Each year, they make it just a little bit harder to get that perfect score, and each year my administration has strived to meet those higher standards. This is a legacy that I am happy to pass on to the next generation of Akron’s leaders to build on and improve as we continuously work to be better allies to our LGBTQ+ community here in Akron and around the world.”

In 2015, the first year Akron was ranked by the MEI, the city earned a lowly 73. When Mayor Horrigan took office in 2016, he made it a priority to improve the city's standing and that year Akron earned an 82. Now, for 6 of the last 7 years the city has earned a perfect 100, only missing one point in 2020. The full report, including detailed scorecards for every city is available online here.