The Jefferson City Commission on Human Relations will work toward boosting the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender inclusion score through the Human Rights Campaign.
The Human Rights Campaign — an LGBT civil rights advocacy group — gave Jefferson City the lowest score possible (zero) on its Municipal Equality Index, which examines cities’ inclusion of the LGBT community members in October. The survey went to a junk email box and was not filled out, commission chair Mitchell Woodrum said. Since it was not filled out, he added, the city received a zero.
Woodrum and city officials plan to fill out a new survey over the next couple of weeks and submit it in hopes of increasing Jefferson City’s score.
Missouri’s LGBTQ group PROMO also has a most-improved community award Woodrum hopes Jefferson City can receive.
“Jefferson City is a great city, and I want to make sure young people and people who want to move to this city that are LGBTQ know that this is a good place for them and a safe place for them,” Woodrum said.
Due to a lack of quorum, the commission could not vote on items during Friday’s meeting but plans to hold a special meeting Tuesday to approve its by-laws and logo.
The commission met for the first time in January after the Jefferson City Council resurrected the group in December.