Decatur improves score on LGBT protections but still trails Atlanta

The city of Decatur vowed last year to do better after a low score on a report about protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. The city delivered, though it still trails Atlanta, which again got a perfect score.

Decatur received 51 out of 100 points on the Human Rights Campaign's annual Municipal Equity Index, which measures whether strong protections are in place where LGBT people live and work. That's up from 21 last year.

The LGBT civil rights advocacy group looked at five categories to determine each city's score:

Non-discrimination laws - whether a city prohibits sexual and gender discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations
The city as an employer - whether a city offers equal LGBT protection laws for employees, and awards contracts to businesses committed to LGBT rights
City services - whether a city includes LGBT people in city services and programs
Law enforcement - whether police report hate crimes, and thoughtfully engage with the LGBT community
A city's relationship with the LGBT community - whether a city's leadership advocates for the LGBT community

Decatur, the DeKalb County seat, still ranked second of the 10 Georgia areas on the list.

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