Palm Springs scores high among nationwide ranking for LGBT rights

Palm Springs was among 25 cities nationwide that earned a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2013 Municipal Equality Index.

Two other Coachella Valley cities also got high scores, 92 for Cathedral City and 90 for Rancho Mirage.

No other Coachella Valley cities were listed in the index, which rates 291 municipalities in all 50 states on “how inclusive their laws and policies are of LGBT people,” according to the HRC.

Laws and policies include non-discrimination laws, equal employee benefits, relationship recognition, city services and leadership on equality-related issues.

The average score was 57 points, and one-fourth of the named cities scored more than 78 points, according to the HRC.

The index, published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the Equality Federation Institute, is posted at www.hrc.org.