For the third year in a row, Huntington and Morgantown scored a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s municipal equality index.
Charleston came close at 92. All three cities were recognized by the organization as “all stars” with at least an 85. West Virginia is one of 20 states that lack statewide protections against discrimination for sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Human Rights Campaign is a national LGBTQ rights organization based in Washington, D.C.
Out of more than 500 cities the organization scored, 129 received a perfect score. The average among all cities was 71, up from 69 last year and 67 in 2021. Only five cities scored a zero.
In West Virginia, Wheeling scored a 76. Charles Town got a 45 and Lewisburg a 43. Parkersburg scored 13.
The index considers local anti-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, law enforcement and local leadership on LGBTQ issues.