Juneau paints rainbows on its crosswalks and has an ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender expression. It’s the home of an active drag entertainment scene.
The Capital City has, for the third year in a row, won a perfect score in an index by the Human Rights Campaign that measures how good a city is to its gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer residents.
Earning 100 points out of 100 three years in a row is something the municipality says it is proud of. It’s the only city in Alaska to receive a perfect score. In 2023 the Human Rights Campaign evaluated 506 cities nationwide are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.
“We are very proud to have maintained Juneau’s perfect score for another year, because it shows that this isn’t a one-time effort,” said Deputy City Manager Robert Barr. “It’s an ongoing commitment to making sure that Juneau’s inclusive values are reflected in the city’s government.”
The scores include things like offering transgender-specific health care benefits to transgender employees of the city, having an LGBTQ+ liaison and/or task force in both the police department and in the city manager’s office, and reporting local hate crime statistics to the FBI.
You can see Juneau’s full scorecard at bit.ly/47uktDT.
