Best and worst US states for LGBTQ+ equality revealed in new report
US states vary greatly in their LGBTQ+ legislation – or lack thereof. (Getty)
Almost half of US states, including Alabama, Florida and Texas, have been rated in the worst category for LGBTQ+ equality, according to a report ranking civil rights across the country.
The new report, named the State Equality Index, from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) revealed that while 21 states, plus Washington DC, are rated highly in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, almost half (24) of the 50 states are rated as having discriminatory legislation in place.
The report, released on Tuesday (28 January), divided states into four categories from the most inclusive of LGBTQ+ people, to the worst, based on anti-LGBTQ+ legislation from each state.
With 489 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced last year – and 46 of them signed into law – research from HRC found that more than seven in ten LGBTQ+ adults (71.5 per cent) said homophobic and transphobic legislation has negatively impacted their mental health.
In addition, the organisation found that over four in ten (41.1 per cent) of trans and gender expansive adults in the US reported that they or someone close to them lost access to gender-affirming care.
Which are the best states for LGBTQ+ equality?
Many states were placed in the highest-rated category by HRC, “working toward innovative equality”, with several states in the group actively passing pro-LGBTQ+ legislation in the last year.
Here are the 21 states (plus Washington DC) doing the best in the country for LGBTQ+ equality.
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia (Washington DC)
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
Which are the states doing the worst?
Almost half of states ended up in the lowest-rated category, “high priority to achieve basic equality”, with many states passing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, mostly targeting the trans community.
Here are the 24 states marked the worst for LGBTQ+ equality:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Five other states were rated in the middle. Alaska, Wisconsin, Iowa and Pennsylvania were rated in the category “solidifying equality”, while Utah was ranked as “building equality”.
Kelley Robinson, HRC president, commented that the report comes at a “pivotal” moment in US history, adding that states with higher levels of LGBTQ+ equality are seeing “stronger economies, attracting top talent, and building more vibrant communities.”
“The roadmap is clear, and the results speak for themselves: when states protect every resident’s dignity and potential, everyone thrives,” Robinson added.
Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has seen a worrying rise since president Donald Trump took office on 20 January. So far, the Republican leader has signed several anti-trans executive orders, impacting gender-affirming care, trans service members in the military, and trans and non-binary people’s access to “X” gender markers on their government IDs.
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