RENWL

Lesbian couple exchange wedding vows

Here’s some good news to make you battle-weary equality activists a little more determined and the haters against equality for all a lot less cocky. A new study titled A Decade of Progress on LGBT Rights says that LGBT rights nationwide have seen extraordinary gains in the last 10 years. The report—–a joint project of the LGBT Movement Advancement Project (MAP) and the Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr., Fund, used 36 statistical indicators of which results were compiled. The report revealed dramatic  increases for the most part in the number of LGBT people protected by anti-discriminatory laws and legislation.

Heres some of the highlights (courtesy of PR Newswire):

Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation: The number of states outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation increased 83 percent, from 12 to 22, between 2000 and 2009.

Discrimination Based on Gender Identity: There was an even more remarkable increase in states outlawing discrimination based on gender identity and expression, which rose from just 1 state in the year 2000 to 14 states representing nearly 30 percent of the population in 2009.

Relationship Recognition: Similarly exceptional gains were made in the area of family recognition. In 2000, no state extended the freedom to marry to same-sex couples; one state gave broad recognition to same-sex relationships and one offered limited recognition. Now in 2009, five states extend marriage to same-sex couples.

Protection from Violence: The 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is the first federal law to specifically protect LGBT people.

LGBT Elected Officials: The number of openly LGBT elected officials in America rose 73 percent between 2000 and 2009, from 257 to 445.

While the report reveals primarily good news there’s still a few problem areas that need work such homophobia in schools, the military ban (Don’t Ask Don’t Tell) and marriage opposition—the LGBT community is only permitted to enjoy same-sex marriage rights in just a few states.

For the full report where you can see in-depth state by state analysis here’s the pdf file of the study or you can go to the MAP web site .