Best and worst states for LGBTQ folks? Divide worsens after 'Don't Say Gay,' report says
Amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation, the gap between states that are welcoming to the LGBTQ community and those that are not is widening. The lack of progress may lead to a brain drain as workers choose areas that are more tolerant, according to a new business climate ranking given exclusively to USA TODAY.
New York had the most equitable climate for the LGBTQ community while South Carolina ranked the lowest according to the fourth annual State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index from the global LGBTQ business advisory Out Leadership.
But while New York held the top spot for the second consecutive year and South Carolina scored the worst for the third year in a row, the shifting scores of many states in between highlight the nation's widening divisions around issues ranging from LGBTQ inclusion to reproductive rights, says Todd Sears, Out Leadership's founder and CEO.
"The states that are getting worse for LGBT people are also getting worse for women and for people of color,'' says Sears. "Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, all of those are states where reproductive rights are being threatened, Black folks are being disenfranchised … The most LGBTQ friendly states are the best states for Americans for safety, for health, for employment, for innovation.''
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