Columbia received a perfect 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2025 Municipal Equality Index for the fifth straight year, according to the annual rating.
The index ranks LGBTQ+ equality across non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership. Columbia is one of seven cities in Maryland to receive perfect scores. Each city is rated based on 49 different criteria.
“Since 2021, Columbia has consistently received a perfect score on the MEI, underscoring our efforts to keep our promise that Howard County is a welcoming place for all,” said Howard County Executive Calvin Ball in a release. “We are proud to be home to one of the most inclusive cities in the nation, and we will continue to make Columbia a model example for the nation.”
While Columbia received the highest possible score, the report showed there was still room for improvement, with two points deducted in the “inclusive workplace” category.
Those two points were made up for in “flex points,” which are points for categories that don’t apply to every city. For example, Columbia gained flex points for providing services to LGBTQ+ youth, having an openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed leader, and single-occupancy all-gender facilities.
The information is compiled by the Human Rights Campaign using publicly available resources. Cities and advocacy organizations are then allowed to review the scorecard and offer feedback, according to the Human Rights Campaign’s website. This is the 14th year the ratings have been released.
Ball established the LGBTQIA+ Commission in October 2022 to advance policy and systemic change for the community, according to the release. The county’s first Pride festival was held in 2019 and the Pride flag has been raised in the county seat every year since 2023.
More than 130 cities of the 506 rated across the country received perfect scores.
Frederick, Rockville and Gaithersburg also got a perfect score for the fifth consecutive year. Other Maryland communities that got a perfect score this year were Annapolis (for the first time), Baltimore (for the fourth consecutive year), College Park (for the third time),
Towson received an 85, Hagerstown received a 75 and Bowie received a 68.
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