New Hope scored high in the 2019 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) from the Human Rights Campaign.
The index examines how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ people who live and work there.
New Hope received perfect scores for its non-discrimination laws, municipal services, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ equality. The borough was also recognized for having openly LGBTQ elected leaders and testing the limits of restrictive state law.
“We’re constantly working to ensure that New Hope remains a welcoming and friendly place to all,” said Borough Council President Connie Gering. “This year’s score reflects some important improvements we’ve made in municipal services and law enforcement reporting over the past two years. Working with dedicated local partners like New Hope Celebrates, we’re aiming for a perfect 100 from the HRC in the coming years.”
The 2019 MEI is the eighth annual edition, and rates a total of 506 cities on 49 different criteria from every state in the nation.
Lambertville also fared well in the evaluation, garnering a final score of 86.
Among municipalities with a perfect score of 100 were Allentown and Philadelphia, along with Princeton, N.J.
As the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans, the Human Rights Campaign represents a force of more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide.
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