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Charleston Top-Ranked For LGBT Inclusiveness

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – Charleston ranked higher than any other city in West Virginia in a rating system that judges cities’ inclusiveness toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

Charleston earned 73 out of 100 points in Human Rights Campaign’s 2015 Municipal Equality Index last week. The rating judged 408 municipalities across the nation.

Charleston and Huntington were the only two cities in the state that scored above the average of 56 points.

Kathryn Oakley, the author of the report, says, “It’s amazing to have two cities above average and one city right there in the neighborhood in a state where it’s not particularly easy to be leading in LGBT issues.”

The score judged municipalities in five categories: non-discrimination laws, employment policies, city services, law enforcement and municipal leadership.