For the sixth year in a row, the City of Fort Lauderdale has achieved the highest possible score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI).
The MEI is published annually by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational branch of the Human Rights Campaign, which works to protect the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) community. The MEI rates municipalities across the nation on the inclusivity of their laws, policies, and services.
In 2024, FTL scored the highest in the categories of municipal services, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.
“We couldn’t be more proud of the City of Fort Lauderdale’s tireless efforts to create and maintain an environment where people from all backgrounds and sexual orientations can feel at home,” said Mayor Dean J. Trantalis. “Our consistent score of 100 tells our story of progress as a community, particularly the impact of numerous City initiatives and efforts. We are committed to continuing on that path.”
Through the years, Fort Lauderdale has initiated many efforts that have contributed to more equality for LGBTQ+ residents, employees and visitors of the City, including:
- A historic initiative on June 2021 reaffirmed FTL’s commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, by proclaiming June as the City’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month
- Designating a dedicated LGBTQ+ Liaison Officer within the Police Department
- Creating a Human Rights Commission
- Outreach efforts to ensure LGBTQ+ residents are included in City services and programs
- The practice of reporting hate crime statistics to the FBI, and much more
View the full report, including detailed scorecards for every city, as well as a searchable database, here: hrc.org/mei
Read the City of Fort Lauderdale's scorecard here.
