San Diego named among top cities for LGBT to live, work

San Diego is among the best cities in the United States for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to live and work, according to a national report released Thursday by the Human Rights Campaign.

The annual report by the gay-rights advocacy group assessed LGBT equality in 408 cities across the country, including 55 in California. Criteria included non-discrimination laws, employment policies, inclusiveness of city services, law enforcement and leadership on equality issues.

San Diego received a perfect score, along with the California cities of Cathedral City, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Francisco and San Jose.

The recognition wasn’t surprising to Stephen Whitburn, executive director of San Diego Pride, who said the region has consistently fared well when it comes to LGBT acceptance.

“We’ve had a very strong and connected LGBT community politically, dating back to the 1970s. And over the years the community has really worked with our local government officials to build those relationships and to have those discussions that have broken down barriers,” he said.

Forty-seven cities across the nation received perfect scores, the largest number in the report’s four-year history. Thirty-eight cities received that recognition in 2014, compared with 11 in 2012, when the index was first published.

About 4 percent of San Diego’s population identifies as LGBT, according to 2015 survey data by Gallup, a research-based consulting company. Gallup partnered with the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law to provide the most detailed estimates yet about where LGBT residents live.

“San Diego is fortunate to have a history of strong LGBT leadership among our elected officials, as well as a progressive community that works cooperatively to further equality and civil rights for all,” Amber Cyphers Stephens, spokeswoman for the San Diego LGBT Community Center, said in an email. “While we still have work to do, particularly for our trans community, San Diego is far ahead of many other places in respect for and support of LGBT community members.”

The city of Brisbane, with a score of 42, received the lowest tally of the California cities that were assessed.

The cities researched for the index include 50 state capitals, the 200 most populous cities in the country, the five largest cities in every state and the city that hosts the state’s two largest public universities.

“The LGBT community faces significant disparities in health and well-being compared to the general population, and city governments can and should play a role in addressing them. While some municipalities have made progress in the past year, these scores make clear that there is much work that still lies ahead,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California, the state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization.