Our member, the Gill Foundation recently funded the LGBT+ Business Climate Index published by Out Leadership. The Index analyzes legal frameworks to measure the impact government policies and prevalent attitudes have on the LGBT+ people living in each state, with a focus on economic participation.
Out Leadership’s State LGBT+ Business Climate Index gives each state a score out of 100 points, based on assessments of LGBT+ individuals’ lived experiences. Categories assessed include: legal and nondiscrimination protections, youth and family support, political and religious attitudes, health access and safety, and work environment and employment.
“This Index provides both a comparative and a categorical assessment of states’ performance on LGBT+ inclusion,” says Dave Hughes of Out Leadership. “We hope they will equip business leaders and policymakers with a clear sense of the most impactful steps states can take to make themselves more hospitable to forward-thinking, innovative, inclusive businesses, and help drive equality forward.”
Colorado ranked 16th in the nation of states in which LGBT+-identifying individuals are empowered to participate more fully and openly in the economy. Read the full report here.