Human Rights Campaign: Pocatello No. 2 in Idaho for LGBTQ equality
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POCATELLO — For the third year in a row, Pocatello ranks second in Idaho for LGBTQ equality.
The Human Rights Campaign published its Municipal Equality Index (MEI) for 2020, and Pocatello is listed just behind Boise.
“As Mayor, I am proud of the steps the city of Pocatello has taken to be one of the leaders on equality in the Gem State,” mayor Brian Blad said in a news release.
The MEI measured 506 cities across the nation based on the inclusivity of municipal laws, policies, and services for LGBTQ people. City leadership, along with policing and available services are among those things considered.
Pocatello, with a score of 71, finished ahead of the national average of 64 and just behind Boise’s 75. Rexburg and Moscow, 69, rounded out the top tier of the seven Idaho cities rated. Idaho Falls, meanwhile, scored 41 points, well ahead of Nampa’s 18. Coeur D’Alene scored 66.
What separated Pocatello’s municipal equality compared to other Idaho cities was its laws and enforcement of those laws. The Gate City, according to the index, scored perfectly in both non-discrimination laws and law enforcement.