Scoring a 100, Bloomington is now one of only 47 cities with a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. This was an improvement from 2014’s score of 67.
This was years in the making, said Doug Bader, director of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Support Services.
Bauder credits Herman B Wells’ support of the Kinsey Institute in the 1940s, as well as the support of community leaders through the years.
“I have lived here for 20 years, close to 25, and I have seen the interaction of government leaders, school district leaders, business leaders, even faith communities who have dealt with this issue,” Bauder said.
The MEI measures LGBT inclusion based on five categories: non-discrimination laws, municipality as employer, municipal services, law enforcement and relationship with the LGBT community.
“It’s difficult to say which came first, the chicken or the egg,” Bauder said. “More people are out, then those relationships just lead to people saying, ‘Well, of course we should be accepting of gay people,’ or more policies are established.”
Bloomington received all the points possible for four of the five categories. The only exception was law enforcement, for which Bloomington received 0 out of 10 for LGBT police liaisons or task forces.
However, the city earned bonus points in categories such as “city provides services to LGBT homeless” and “openly LGBT elected or appointed municipal leaders.”
Openly supportive leaders are extremely influential, Bauder said.
This was apparent during the community’s outcry against the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which was approved in March 2015, Bauder said.
Bauder attributes some of Bloomington’s success to IU students as well.
“The community impacts the students and the students impact the community,” Bauder said. “It’s a gay love affair.”
