Why a national civil rights group gave Columbus a lower equality score
The 2025 Municipal Equality Index score for Columbus decreased from the previous year because a questionnaire was not completed to provide full information to the organization, Mayor Skip Henderson told the Ledger-Enquirer after his office received criticism from ColGay Pride.
The Human Rights Campaign, a national civil rights organization headquartered in Washington, D..C., and advocating for LGBTQ+ equality, has released the MEI annually for the past 14 years.
The MEI compiles a score based on an assessment of how inclusive municipal laws, policies and services are for LGBTQ+ residents, according to the HRC website. Cities are rated on a scale of 0-100.
For 2025, Columbus received a MEI score of 49. The 2024 scores no longer are available on the HRC website.
“This decline is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of a city that claims to embrace diversity,” Jeremy Hobbs, executive director of ColGay Pride, said in a news release. “When we began this work years ago, our score was 21. Through collaboration and commitment, we raised it to 63. Today, not only has the score dropped, but the reality is even worse.”
Hobbs, who served as the first LGBTQ+ liaison for Columbus, criticized the mayor’s office and the Columbus Police Department for the report showing that they do no have LGBTQ+ liaisons.
This assertion in the report is a result of the HRC questionnaire failing to be completed, Henderson said.
“I just overlooked it and did not send it in this time,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, and I certainly regret not getting that thing in when they sent it to me. But I think the important thing for our community to understand is that we do have a liaison. We have had a liaison and, certainly for the remainder of my term here, we’re committed to having one.”
The liaison is William Morgan, Henderson said, and this individual has been in the role for about three years. Morgan is one of a variety of liaisons in the city, he said.
Liaisons are not employees of the Columbus Consolidated Government, Henderson said, but are people who are passionate about certain initiatives. Morgan’s role is to focus on what’s happening in the state and nation regarding events, activities, challenges and policy changes, Henderson said.
“They, ideally, keep me informed about some of those things,” he said. “So I get a perspective from our local gay pride individuals.”
Hobbs, after being informed that Columbus’ report was incomplete, told the Ledger-Enquirer he understands how something like this could happen, but it still is disappointing.
Businesses and people looking at Columbus as a destination to move to take databases like the MEI into account when making decisions, he said.
“Atlanta has a 100 every year,” Hobbs said. “I know it’s a big, big place and everything else, but they made the effort and got it done. … We’re the second-largest city in Georgia. We need to be a shining example to all the other rural areas.”
Henderson also emphasized his disappointment that the report wasn’t completed this year, echoing Hobbs’ sentiment that scores like this could discourage people from visiting or moving to Columbus.
“There are organizations and visitor bureaus that will take a look at that score when booking travel plans because they want to make sure they’re going into a welcoming environment,” Henderson said. “And we are. We’ve been very strong supporters of the LGBTQ+ community.”
Having an LGBTQ+ liaison for the mayor’s office and police department would raise Columbus’ score by 15 points: 10 points for the police department and 5 points for the mayor’s office.
The Ledger-Enquirer asked CPD for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Other areas for improvement would help the LGBTQ+ community and help raise the city’s MEI score, Hobbs told the L-E.
First, Hobbs would like more information about the liaison and how to contact them to be more easily accessible.
“They do need to have more transparency on who they are, how to contact them and everything else,” he said. “Right now, there’s no viable way to do that.”
He also said they should have a more proactive and visible role in the community.
Hobbs also pushed for the city to pass a non-discrimination ordinance that was introduced to the Columbus Council about four years ago. The ordinance alone could bring the city’s score up to almost an 80, he said.
Columbus Councilors Toyia Tucker, Jerry “Pops” Barnes and Walker Garrett co-sponsored the ordinance in 2021.
“The piece of legislation created is a piece that is comprehensively fair across the board for women, men, everybody,” Hobbs said. “It’s not just a gay bill.”
According to the HRC website, Atlanta received a 100, Savannah received an 80, Athens received a 91 and Augusta received a 21. Macon was not rated.
“While this impacted a number, it didn’t impact the way we’re doing things here in Columbus,” Henderson said. “I’ve gone out and supported the ColGay Pride events, and we’ll continue to do so throughout my term.”
