A new report gives Vancouver one of the lowest scores in the state when it comes to LGBTQ-inclusive laws, policies and city services. The grade of 60 out of 100 comes from the fifth annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI) done by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. This year, the foundation examined 506 municipalities around the country, including 11 in Washington.
Bellevue, Olympia and Seattle were among 60 cities nationwide that scored a perfect 100 points. Spokane got 76 and Tacoma garnered 89. Like Vancouver, Bellingham scored 60 points. The nationwide average is 55 points.
Vancouver scored well when it came to nondiscrimination laws, which are state laws. The city reported its hate crime statistics to the FBI in 2014. It is a nondiscriminatory employer and its leadership has expressed the importance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning equality, the MEI report said. However, like many cities, Vancouver earned zero points when it came to transgender-inclusive healthcare benefits, and pro-equality legislative or policy efforts. The city also lacks an LGBTQ liaison in the mayor’s office or police department.
However, Vancouver Police Chief James McElvain has a diversity advisory team, which includes several people from the LGBTQ community. If that counted, the city’s score would go up by 10 points.
Also, the report erroneously said that Vancouver does not have any openly LGBTQ elected officials. City Councilor Ty Stober is openly gay. He said he was disappointed in the MEI’s evaluation of Vancouver, believing it was likely due to bad data sources. State Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, has also been an openly gay public official since 1995, and served two terms on Vancouver City Council.
The metric is considered an evaluation of laws, policies and city services — not atmosphere or quality of life. So, that means low-scoring cities may feel more welcoming and vice-versa.
“Even the most thoughtful survey of laws and policies cannot encapsulate the lived experience of discrimination that many LGBTQ people — even those living in 100-point cities — face every day,” the MEI report said.
More than the index
In fact, when it comes to quality of life, Vancouver has gotten a couple of accolades for its LGBTQ-friendliness.
Movoto, an online real estate listing service, ranked Vancouver the No. 1 best town in Washington for LGBT families, saying: “With several gay bars located in town and its very own active LGBT scene, Vancouver has been a big influence on the growing Portland scene for many years.”
Also, in 2011, The Advocate, the Los Angeles-based online magazine that chronicles gay and lesbian political and cultural affairs, ranked Vancouver as the country’s No. 6 “gayest city.” Vancouver finished ahead of Portland, Seattle and San Francisco.
Advocate reporter Mike Albo wrote, “One gets the sense that a lot of those groovy gay and lesbian Portlanders are mellowing out and coming here to settle down.”
He cited gay-friendly churches, Skyview High School’s student led gay-straight alliance and The Northbank bar, which has since closed.
While people can no longer gather at The Northbank, there are LGBTQ groups that meet up in Vancouver. On Facebook, there’s Vancouver Washington LGBT Meet Up and LGBTQ’s of Vancouver Washington — both groups that people can join. Also, meetup.com has a group called Clark County LGBTQ & Allies Activities that lists local get-togethers, such as a monthly “gay skate” at Oaks Amusement Park in Portland and coffee meetups at Latte da Coffeehouse in west Vancouver.
Vancouver is known for its annual Saturday in the Park Pride event that’s been held since 1994.
The Municipal Equality Index report argues that inclusiveness is good for business and that cities with vibrant LGBTQ communities have “higher levels of income, life satisfaction, housing values, and emotional attachment to their community as well as higher concentrations of high-tech business.”
