Celestine Jeffreys, Chief of Staff, celestineje@greenbaywi.gov; 920-448-3005
Green Bay Doubles the City’s Municipal Equality Index Score
Human Rights Campaign Cheers Effort
(Green Bay, WI) Mayor Eric Genrich is pleased to announce that the City of Green Bay has worked successfully with community leaders to dramatically improve its Municipal Equality Index (MEI) score from 28 to 60 in just one year. The MEI is a scorecard created by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to measure how inclusive a community’s policies and services are for the LGBTQ community.
“I want to thank Human Rights Campaign staff, Chief of Staff Celestine Jeffreys, Human Resources Director Joe Faulds, and Green Bay’s Common Council for their instrumental work in this area,” said Genrich. “I am committed to cultivating an inclusive community culture that makes space for all people of good will to succeed. More work remains to be done, but 2019’s MEI score is a real demonstration of progress.”
Specific issues the City addressed include: creating a Police Department Pride Team and a police liaison to the LGBTQ community; adopting Police Department guidelines for interactions with LGBTQ community members; publicly demonstrating the Mayor’s support for the LGBTQ community; including gender identity, gender expression and gender non-conformity in the City’s equal opportunity in employment policy; and by naming an LGTBQ liaison to the Mayor.
Wendy Strout, Wisconsin State Director of the Human Rights Campaign, said “HRC is extremely proud of Green Bay. Mayor Genrich, his staff, and community leaders have worked tirelessly to make the City a truly inclusive place to live. This dramatic score increase—32 points—over just one year’s time is a testament to how much the City prioritized equality, and the community’s commitment to making Green Bay a welcoming place for all. We congratulate Green Bay and are excited to continue working together on their continued commitment to equality.”
The Human Rights Campaign represents a force of more than 3 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work, and in the community.
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