Human Rights Council urges Lake Worth Beach to claim missed Municipal Equality Index points

Rand Hawke, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, urged the Lake Worth Beach City Commission to pursue fuller participation in the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index (MEI), saying the city has several missed flex points that could be easily corrected.

"The MEI relies on 49 different criteria," Hawke said during the June 2 meeting, explaining that the index evaluates nondiscrimination laws, municipal employment practices, municipal services and law enforcement practices. He identified specific items he says were overlooked in Lake Worth Beach’s submission, including documentation of single‑occupancy gender‑neutral restrooms, records of inclusive workplace training for staff, and clearer web links to Compass services that support LGBTQ+ residents.

Hawke told commissioners that cities with high MEI scores can use that recognition to attract workers and businesses and to signal inclusivity to visitors. He said the city had been awarded fewer points than it deserved and that HRC staff indicated the city could correct some items by providing simple documentation — for example, a photo of a gender‑neutral restroom or a link on the city website to LGBTQ+ services. "You send us a picture, you're gonna get the 2 points," he said.

Mayor Betty Resch and Vice Mayor Mimi May thanked Hawke for the presentation. Commissioners noted concerns about state and federal legal changes that have affected some local protections; Hawke said those shifts make municipal documentation and advocacy even more important. The commission did not take a formal vote on the presentation, but staff were asked to follow up with HRC and to coordinate with local organizations, including Compass and CRA staff, to assemble the documentation Hawke described.