Champaign Ranked Second Highest in State of Illinois
The City of Champaign is honored to be recognized by the Human Rights Campaign in the 2020 Municipal Equality Index (MEI). Conducted annually, the MEI is used to measure how inclusive a city’s laws, policies, and services are for the LGBTQ community. This year the City of Champaign’s MEI score rose to 84, ranking Champaign as the second highest scoring city in the state of Illinois among those analyzed this year. Thanks in part to recent updates to the City’s Human Rights Ordinance, the City’s score rose five points over its 2019 MEI score of 79.
“This recognition from the Human Rights Campaign shows the commitment that the City of Champaign has toward advancing policies that are inclusive and protective of the rights of our LGBTQ residents and visitors,” said Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen. “I’m proud of the work the City Council and City staff have done to make our progressive community even more welcoming to everyone who chooses to live, work, play, and stay in Champaign.”
The 2020 Municipal Equality Index analyzed 506 American cities, including nine in Illinois. The national average city score was 64. The full MEI report can be reviewed online at hrc.org/mei.