States of Equality Scorecard
Are you a second class citizen in your own state? Review state by state comparisons of the score on equality and gay rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans.
STATES OF EQUALITY SCORECARD
The score indicates the number of Equality Goals that have been reached in that state. Each "YES" gives 1 point.
Half a point is given for partial achievement of an Equality Goal. One of the seven Equality Goals (repealing "Don't Ask Don't Tell") can
only be achieved at the federal level. Therefore, at the state level,
the maximum score is 6.
UPDATES:
- On May 15, 2008 the California Supreme Court approved marriage equality for same sex couples. California become the first state to offer full equality to the LGBTQ population. But the federal government still does not recognize those marriages and does not allow to serve openly in the military. There is a ballot initiative on November 2008 to try to overturn this ruling. Everybody's support is critical.
- In May 2008, the Florida legislature passed anti-bullying legislation (but it does not enumerate protected clasees)
- In May 2008, Maryland become the 7th state with anti-bullying legislation that specifically protects youth because of their sexual orientation and gender identity/expression
Click on any heading to sort table. Highest possible score is 6.0.
STATE
|
SCORE
|
HATE CRIMES
|
NON DISCRIMINATION
|
MARRIAGE
|
GENDER
|
YOUTH |
PARENTING
|
ALABAMA
|
1.0
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Some Jurisdictions
|
|
ALASKA
|
1.0 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate |
NO |
Some Jurisdictions
|
ARIZONA
|
1.5
|
Only sexual orientation
|
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Not tested
|
ARKANSAS
|
1.0 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate |
NO |
Not tested |
CALIFORNIA
|
6.0
|
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
COLORADO
|
3.0
|
YES |
YES |
NO |
Amended
certificate |
NO |
Second Parent Adoption |
CONNECTICUT
|
4.5 |
YES |
Only sexual orientation |
Civil Unions |
YES |
Only sexual orientation |
YES |
DELAWARE
|
2.0
|
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Some Jurisdictions |
|
DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
|
4.5
|
YES |
YES |
Domestic Partnerships
|
Amended
certificate
|
Only sexual orientation |
YES |
FLORIDA
|
1.5
|
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate |
No enumeration |
NO |
GEORGIA
|
1.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Not tested
|
HAWAI'I
|
3.5 |
YES |
Only sexual orientation
|
Domestic Reciprocal Beneficiaries |
YES |
NO |
Some Jurisdictions
|
IDAHO
|
0.5 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Not tested |
ILLINOIS
|
3.5 |
Only sexual orientation
|
YES |
NO |
YES |
NO |
YES |
INDIANA
|
1.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
No gender in certificate |
NO |
Partial
|
IOWA
|
4.5
|
YES |
YES |
NO |
YES |
YES |
Some Jurisdictions
|
KANSAS
|
1.5
|
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate |
NO |
Not tested |
KENTUCKY
|
1.5
|
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Not tested |
LOUISIANA
|
2.0
|
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Some Jurisdictions
|
MAINE
|
4.0
|
Only sexual orientation |
YES |
Domestic Partnerships |
Amended
certificate
|
YES |
Only Joint adoption |
MARYLAND
|
3.5
|
YES |
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
YES |
Some Jurisdictions |
MASSACHUSETTS
|
4.0
|
Only sexual orientation |
Only sexual orientation |
YES |
Amended
certificate |
Only sexual orientation |
YES |
MICHIGAN
|
1.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Second Parent Adoption |
MINNESOTA
|
4.0
|
YES |
YES |
NO |
Decided by Court order |
YES |
Some Jurisdictions |
MISSISSIPPI
|
0.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
NO |
MISSOURI
|
2.0
|
YES |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Not tested
|
MONTANA
|
1.0
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
Decided by Court order |
NO |
Not tested
|
NEBRASKA
|
2.0
|
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
NO |
YES |
Policy Dept. Educ. |
NO |
NEVADA
|
2.5
|
Only sexual orientation |
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Some Jurisdictions |
NEW HAMPSHIRE
|
2.5
|
Only sexual orientation |
Only sexual orientation
|
Civil Unions
|
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Some Jurisdictions |
NEW JERSEY
|
5.0
|
YES |
YES |
Civil Unions
|
Amended
certificate |
YES |
YES |
NEW MEXICO
|
3.0
|
YES |
YES |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Some Jurisdictions
|
NEW YORK
|
3.5
|
Only sexual orientation |
Only sexual orientation |
Recognizes marriages |
YES |
NO |
YES |
NORTH CAROLINA
|
1.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Not tested
|
NORTH DAKOTA
|
1.0
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Not tested
|
OHIO
|
0.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Not tested Joint Adoption
|
OKLAHOMA
|
1.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Not tested
|
OREGON
|
4.0 |
YES |
YES |
Domestic Partnerships |
Amended
certificate |
NO |
YES |
PENNSYLVANIA
|
2.0
|
YES |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Second Parent Adoption |
RHODE ISLAND
|
2.5
|
Only sexual orientation |
YES |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Some Jurisdictions
|
SOUTH CAROLINA
|
1.0 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Not tested
|
SOUTH DAKOTA
|
1.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Not tested
|
TENNESSEE
|
1.0
|
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Not tested
|
TEXAS
|
1.5
|
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
NO |
Depends on Clerk |
NO |
Some Jurisdictions
|
UTAH
|
1.0
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
NO |
VERMONT
|
5.0
|
YES |
YES |
Civil Unions
|
Amended
certificate
|
YES |
YES |
VIRGINIA
|
1.5
|
NO |
NO |
NO |
YES |
NO |
Not tested
|
WASHINGTON
|
3.5 |
Only sexual orientation |
YES |
Domestic Partnerships
|
Amended
certificate
|
Only sexual orientation |
Some Jurisdictions |
WEST VIRGINIA
|
1.0 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate
|
NO |
Not tested |
WISCONSIN
|
2.5 |
Only sexual orientation |
Only sexual orientation |
NO |
Decided by Court order |
Only sexual orientation
|
Not fully tested
|
| WYOMING |
1.0 |
NO |
NO |
NO |
Amended
certificate |
NO |
Not tested
|
ANALYSIS (50 states + District of Columbia):
- Only one state (California) provides full equality to the LGBTQ population (but marriage rights are not recognized by the Federal Government and gays are banned to serve openly in the military).
- Two other states (New Jersey, and Vermont) achieve 5 of the 6 Equality Goals.
- However, half of the states satisfy none or just one of the 6 Equality
Goals that are required to ensure that LGBTQ people have the same legal
protections as everyone else.
- Massachusetts scores only 4.0 despite that if offers marriage
equality. This is because it falls short in transgender protections in
hate crimes, non discrimination, anti-bullying, and providing new birth
certificates.
-
Passing federal legislation on an Equality Goal would increase every state score by 1.
Check our LGBT directory of organizations working to achieve equality. Each organization is represented by a major donor explaining why he or she is so committed to the organization.
RESULTS FROM THE QUIZ
The people who took the Equal and Gay Quiz, as a group had a tendency to understimate the actual score in their state by about 1 point out of 6 as the chart indicates.
So, the good news is that most states offer slightly more equality than the average person who took the test estimated. The bad news is that the state of equality in the United States is unacceptable with half of the states offering none or 1 of the six equal protections that all other citizens enjoy.
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