Each year, the Human Rights Campaign ranks selected American cities according to how inclusive municipal laws, policies, and services are of LGBTQ+ people who live and work there. Cities are rated based on non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.
This year’s index was recently released, and for the first time four Hampton Roads cities scored a perfect score of 100. Both Virginia Beach and Hampton retained their 2024 score of 100, and for the second year Newport News scored a perfect 100.
Here are the 2024 and 2025 rankings for Hampton Roads cities that were surveyed for the report.
Year 2024 2025
Virginia Beach 100 100
Hampton 100 100
Newport News 100 100
Norfolk 91 97
Chesapeake 80 80
Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign said, “Cities and towns around the country are stepping up each and every day, finding new and innovative ways to empower LGBTQ+ people in the face of a dire national state of emergency. Even when anti-LGBTQ+ extremists in state capitals are working to undermine their progress, mayors and city councilmembers keep fighting to make sure that LGBTQ+ people in their communities – especially trans people – are supported and lifted up to the fullest extent possible. This year’s Municipal Equality Index shows the results of their dedication, while acknowledging the increasingly hostile environment in which they must govern.”
The 2025 MEI is the fourteenth annual edition and rates a total of 506 cities on 49 different criteria from every state in the nation. The MEI is the only comprehensive nationwide assessment of LGBTQ+ equality in the areas of municipal policies, laws and services.