North Druid Hills Scores Terribly on LGBT Equality?
The community scored poorly in a recent measure of hospitability to LGBT residents and employees.
It's come as a surprise to some, but, recently, the North Druid Hills-Briarcliff area has received a bit of press for being a haven for members of Atlanta's LGBT community.
But when it comes to protections specifically for those residents, things aren't so rosy (sort of... keep reading).
North Druid Hills received an extremely low score in an equality index from the Human Rights Campaign, according to Project Q Atlanta.
Here's a description of the index from the campaign:
The Municipal Equality Index (MEI), the first ever rating system of LGBT inclusion in municipal law, finds that while many U.S. cities lag behind in protections for LGBT people, some of the most LGBT-friendly policies in the country have been innovated and implemented at the municipal level, including in states with laws that are unfriendly to the LGBT community.
Atlanta scored the highest of four listed Georgia cities – including, strangely, North Druid Hills, which isn't a real municipality – with an 82.
North Druid Hills? It got a 15. (Although that was better than Avondale Estates' score of 8.)
The HRC likely used DeKalb County's standards since North Druid Hills is unincorporated land. As I said before, the community has gotten some press in the past for its reputation among LGBT residents.
Sally
8:02 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Absolutely no idea what LGBT stands for.....
Todd G
8:20 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender.
Tammy
9:08 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
No surprise really. Living or working in this area is like being in a 1983 time warp.
Sally
10:59 am on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
If the area scores so terribly, why are there so many living here?
Jonathan Cribbs
12:07 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Most likely the sheer number of gays and lesbians living in the community. Again, North Druid Hills isn't a real city. (In fact, it's barely anything. It's a "Census-designated place.") So, DeKalb County's policies on LGBT issues would probably have little bearing on whether members of that community would move here.
JayMan
5:20 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
what exactly would qualify as a "gay service" anyways?
Jonathan Cribbs
10:59 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
An admittedly stupid phrasing. It's been changed.
Jerry Fuchs
8:57 pm on Wednesday, November 28, 2012
I'm not trying to be funny, but aren't they protected by the same laws that the rest of us straights are?
Linda Hagan
3:30 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Fair Housing Act, which is the federal law governing housing discrimination, includes the following seven protected classes: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status.
That is pretty much the same protected status for all. Employment, housing, etc...
However,one's sexual orientation, "being gay" , is not a protected class.
David Bloome
9:32 am on Thursday, November 29, 2012
We wouldn't be talking about this if they gave out high scores. Just a ploy to get their cause in the media spotlight. Next...
Todd G
10:08 am on Thursday, November 29, 2012
"Their cause"? And what exactly is that?
Kay Clark
5:03 pm on Friday, November 30, 2012
You are exactly right. If they received the same rights and protections as every other group it would be a non-story. Since they don't, it's a valid piece of journalism.
Please David, explain what "cause" "they" are trying to get in the "spotlight."
Linda Hagan
3:32 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Fair Housing Act, which is the federal law governing housing discrimination, includes the following seven protected classes: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status.
Being gay or sexual orientation is not a protected class.