The Human Rights Campaign Foundation ranks Missouri last in its brand new State Equality Index, the most comprehensive survey of state-level commitment to LGBTQ+ equality. Twenty-three states accompany Missouri in the lowest-rated category on the list, which came out earlier this week.
And yet local advocates say not only are they not giving up — but they see reason for hope.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation, or HRC, says 2023 marked the worst on record for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, prompting HRCto declare an unprecedented National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans. The foundation cites more than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that passed in statehouses across the country in 2023, more than twice the number from 2022.
HRC places Missouri in a tier titled “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equality,” meaning Missouri fails to achieve the most basic of rights for LGBTQ+ people. They attribute that status to state laws and policies that directly harm LGBTQ+ people, and importantly, the lack of laws to protect LGBTQ+ rights.