LGBTQ+ Civil Rights: Local Government Efforts in a Volatile Era

Abstract

LGBTQ+ issues at the local level pose some of the most pressing civil rights challenges in the current U.S. context. This analysis provides insight into what is taking place in major municipalities and how these efforts can be improved to bolster equity and civil rights for LGBTQ+ populations. At a time when identity, language, and public sector values are inherently intertwined and constantly changing, the following question is ripe for analysis: how are major U.S. municipalities addressing the civil rights needs of the LGBTQ+ population? To answer this question, an analysis of government websites from the top 10 U.S. cities by population is conducted, examining the policies, programs, and services that municipalities offer LGBTQ+ residents and the language used to frame these policies, programs, and services as expressions of power, representations of identity, and the website presentation itself. Evidence for Practice • Municipalities should adopt comprehensive policies, programs, and services to promote LGBTQ+ civil rights that take into account the varied needs of their diverse populations. • The language used in LGBTQ+ policies, programs, and services should be carefully considered, because language has the potential to build inclusion and trust among administrators and LGBTQ+ residents. • Municipalities should not only develop more inclusive LGBTQ+ policies, programs, and services but also work to improve their accessibility and web presence so that knowledge of these efforts is readily available to LGBTQ+ individuals. Her forthcoming work includes two coedited volumes: Ethics for Contemporary Bureaucrats: Navigating Constitutional Crossroads and Handbook of Gender and Public Administration.

Introduction to the Handbook on Gender and Public Administration

“…Their "illegal" behavior put them at risk of blackmail by communist agents. The solution was stigmatization, loss of their government job and possible incarceration (Federman and Elias, 2017;Elias, 2020;McCandless and Elias, 2021).…”

Actions for Queering American Public Administration

“…While LGBTQ+ employee data remain difficult to attain, a queer theoretical perspective can be applied to track whether government agencies are addressing the needs of LGBTQ+ communities. For instance, a recent analysis of 10 major U.S. municipalities demonstrated the extent to which their websites included content related to LGBTQ+ policies, programs, and services (Elias, 2020). Further-reaching analysis and benchmarking is possible utilizing annual policy and program data collected by the Human Rights Campaign (2021), including the Municipal Equality Index, State Equality Index, Health care Equality Index, and Corporate Equality Index.…”

Popular Culture Informing Public Administration: Messages and Prospects for Social Equity

“…Proponents view language as artifacts that shape and are shaped by discourses and socio-cultural practices (Fairclough, 1989(Fairclough, , 1995a(Fairclough, , 1995b. The use of CDA in public administration scholarship is very limited (see Elias, 2020;Elias & Rishel, 2013).…”