Wisconsin Municipalities Working to Become More Inclusive Toward LGBTQ+ Community

Sunday, December 11th, 2022 -- 10:00 AM

(By Joe Schulz, Wisconsin Public Radio) Since 2018, Wisconsin municipalities have taken steps to become more inclusive toward the LGBTQ+ community. 

The Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index surveys laws and policies of cities across the U.S. It gives cities a grade based on how inclusive those policies are toward members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Of the seven Wisconsin cities surveyed in 2018 and 2022, all but two saw scores increase. Those two municipalities were Madison and Milwaukee, which had perfect scores both years. On average, Wisconsin cities scored 87 out of 100 points, almost 20 points higher than the national average of 68.

Measures that can boost a city's score include, but are not limited to, banning conversion therapy, creating non-discrimination ordinances and ensuring law enforcement reports hate crimes to the FBI.

"The scorecard will show a city all of the things it's done and give it the ability to brag about the things that it's done," said Cathryn Oakley, state legislative director and senior counsel with the Human Rights Campaign.

"But it will also highlight the things that the city has left to do." In Wisconsin, Oakley said one of the biggest things a municipality can do is to pass a non-discrimination ordinance that includes language pertaining to gender identity.

That’s because the state’s non-discrimination law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, but not gender identity. "Wisconsin has a history of, in many ways, being a very welcoming and open place for LGBTQ people, and yet the state still does not expressly include gender identity in this state's non-discrimination law," she said.

Oakley added that non-discrimination ordinances can apply to a city’s general population, as well as to municipal employees and contractors. Municipalities that saw the biggest gains between 2018 and 2022 include Green Bay and Racine.

Green Bay's score increased from 28 to 90, while Racine's jumped from 41 to 100.

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