Citizens of the Beaver State might be vexed or elated to be in one of the states in the Union with the most “equality” for LGBTQ people. Oregon is one of 14 other states that rank high on the equality index created by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), which bases its score on 50 different LGBTQ-related laws and policies.
The rankings for equality include high, medium, fair, low, and negative overall policy tallies. The states fall into these categories as follows:
- High (15)
- Medium (6)
- Fair (7)
- Low (13)
- Negative (9)
Not surprisingly, the largest percentage of LGBTQ people live in the high category with 43%, then 8% medium, 13% fair, 24% low, and 11% negative. Also, not surprisingly, all of the high score states are also blue or liberal states mostly along the West Coast and Northeast, while the low and negative states are located mostly in the South and Midwest, the red states politically speaking.
The MAP project goes on to give some interesting details about Oregon’s LGBTQ population, of which the last two Governors have been part of, including:
- 5.6% of adults are LGBTQ
- A total of 207k citizens are LGBTQ
- 6% of the workforce is LGBTQ
MAP also gives Oregon an overall tally of 37.5/42.5 on their index. Here’s how Oregon ranks among the high “equality” LGBTQ states according to MAP (ranked most equal to least):
- California 41.75
- Colorado 41.5
- Nevada 40.5
- New York 39.5
- Maine 39.5
- New Jersey 38.5
- Connecticut 38
- Vermont 37.5
- Oregon 37.5
- Washington 37.25
- Illinois 36.5
- Massachusetts 35
- Minnesota 34
- Rhode Island 33
Maybe unfortunately for those who feel vexed or blessed by this distinction, Oregon only ties for 9th in the overall race to be the most equal LGBTQ state in the Union, even with the last two Governors being part of this special class of citizens.
Now that LGBTQ citizens have an idea of where to move, here are some options for those who would rather not be living in a state that attracts LGBTQ people; here are the negative tally states:
- Tennessee -10.5
- Alabama -9.5
- Arkansas -8
- South Dakota -5.5
- Oklahoma -4
- Mississippi -4
- Louisiana -3.5
- South Carolina -2.5
- Georgia -0.5
With this data, U.S. citizens can now make their next move with important knowledge about which states in the Union are the most favorable to LGBTQ people or not.
Also, keep in mind, Oregon is also ranked with a high policy tally for transgender people specifically; it is among twelve other high "equality" LGBTQ states that have this distinction, while 23 states have a negative policy tally for this specific LGBTQ distinction, which we are all well aware of by now in 2023.
Comments / 106