Safest states for lgbtq

Initially settled in the 17th century, the Nutmeg State once considered sodomy a capital crime, but in modern times was one of the first states to repeal such prohibitionsenact sexual orientation and gender identity protections in andsafeand became the second state to recognize same-sex marriages More recently, inConnecticut led a movement to grant respectful treatment to transgender prisoners.

California was the first state to recognize same-sex domestic partnerships in and recently named itself the first sanctuary state for transgender youth. According to the HRC, California had more pro-equality laws on its books in than any other for 57which boosted its scores.

Based on laws surrounding marriage, family rights, health care, and education, here are the 15 best states for LGBTQ+ people. According to the latest FBI data, zero hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation or gender identity prejudice were reported, with 80 percent of law enforcement agencies in the state reporting.

Sinceour report card also incorporates the frequency of hate crimes committed against LGBTQ people in each state and the percentage of law enforcement agencies in each state reporting hate crime data to the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI.

You can read our full methodology at the end of the article. The map and table above show the diverse safety scores the 50 states and the District of Columbia earned. See where your state ranks Which states are the best and worst for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Americans to live and work?.

Federal laws protect the right to same-sex marriage and forbid state discrimination based on sexual orientation. Its pioneering protections date back to the s and the era of iconic champion Harvey Milk. The larger western states of California and Nevada rounded out the top five.

As ofDelaware had 45 pro-equality laws on the books. Ninety-eight percent of law enforcement agencies in the state reported hate crimes to the FBI, more than any other state. Init established a Commission on the State of Hate to analyze and combat crimes motivated by prejudice.

Last year, the state expanded its already formidable protections against sexual orientation discrimination to include citizens identifying as pansexual or asexual specifically. Florida ranked lowest, with a failing lgbtq due to discriminatory laws.

As a large and populous state, California had more reported hate crimes than smaller states, but had a high reporting rate among its law enforcement agencies. California is also home to nearlysame-sex couples. It boasts robust protection against sexual orientation discrimination in everyday life: education, housing, healthcare, and employment.

The nation's three smallest states Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut — all in the Northeast dominated the top of our rankings. InConnecticut had 51 pro-equality laws. In some places, the gay and trans communities enjoy inclusion and celebration, while in others, they face exclusion and persecution.

What are the safest places for gay and trans people?

HRC State Maps

Twenty-two of those were non-discrimination protections, which were most important to the safety of respondents in our study. One shields healthcare professionals who provide gender affirming care, another expands access to preventative HIV medication, and the third streamlines and safeguards the process for changing names and gender status.

At SafeHome. We also translated those results to letter grades, as represented on the map below. Posting a safety score of Eight states got A's for LGBTQ+ safety, with Rhode Island topping the list.