Irving received the state’s lowest score but is satisfied with its policies

DAVID TAFFET | Senior Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
The Human Rights Campaign’s new Municipal Equality Index is out, and the city of Irving isn’t happy. Of the 25 Texas cities rated in the report, Irving tied with Laredo for lowest score. Dallas and Fort Worth each received top scores of 100.
While Dallas and Fort Worth got top scores, Irving got the lowest score of the 25 cities rated in Texas — 6. Those six points were credited under the category of municipal services.
Irving city spokeswoman Susan Rose sent the city’s official response to its score: “The city of Irving values its diverse employee base,” she wrote. “We take inclusion very seriously and require all employees be treated with respect.”
But having a nondiscrimination policy for city employees is just one part of one category. Adding sexual orientation and gender identity to its employment policy would add points at no cost, but wouldn’t address any of the other issues on the survey. And Rose refused to say whether the city would look into any ways it could improve its score next year.
But Beth Bowman, president and CEO of the Irving Chamber of Commerce, had a little more to say. Stressing that she doesn’t speak on behalf of the city, Bowman did point out that Irving is one of the most diverse cities in the country.
“Our member-investors have told us that inclusiveness and diversity are important to their businesses and our community’s continued growth and economic success,” she wrote in response to questions from Dallas Voice, adding that the chamber has supported the LGBT community.
The Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce was among the first chambers in Texas to sign on to Texas Competes, which provided a unified voice for the Texas business community opposing discrimination during this year’s regular and special legislative sessions.
“We actively opposed discriminatory legislation during the 85th Texas Legislative Session,” Bowman noted. Those efforts by the city’s business community are worth several bonus points on the MEI, if the city wanted to claim them.
Other cities are much more eager to show off their MEI scores, including Dallas.
“The importance of that [100 percent score] is, it shows people all over the country Dallas is an open and welcoming place,” said Dallas City Councilman Omar Narvaez, adding that getting that top score gives Dallas a foot up in the competition when businesses — like, say, Amazon — are looking for new locations.
“It’s not just OK to embrace your LGBT community, but it’s the standard going forward,” Narvaez said.
While most cities across Texas haven’t passed nondiscrimination ordinances — and Houston voters repealed theirs — Narvaez suggested cities follow Dallas’ lead by adding fully inclusive transgender health benefits, which began Oct. 1.
“The cost for trans healthcare is minimal,” Narvaez said.
Narvaez said he’d like to see surrounding cities all improve their scores, because, “That just makes our region stronger.”
Plano received a score of 74, sixth-best in the state after the three cities that received perfect scores — Austin as well as the two major North Texas cities — San Antonio with a 95 and Houston with a 75.
Plano spokesman Steve Stoler said the city was satisfied with its score.
“We are extremely happy with the score given to the city of Plano by the Human Rights Campaign,” Stoler wrote to Dallas Voice. “We strive to be a diverse community and take great pride in having one of the highest MEI scores in Texas.”
Although its been criticized for transgender exclusion, Plano received points for its equal rights ordinance.
“The creation of the city’s equal rights ordinance depicts our commitment towards ensuring equality and inclusion for all citizens and visitors of the city of Plano,” Stoler continued. “In addition, we have taken great strides internally to ensure we embrace and encourage our employees to bring their whole selves to the workplace. Needless to say, we are proud of our inclusion efforts and are satisfied with the MEI score we received.”
One portion of the MEI has always been problematic: the section that gives credit for anti-bullying policies in schools.
In many states, the school board reports to the city. But in Texas, school districts are independent government entities with their own taxing authority. ISDs don’t overlay cities.
While DISD may have great policies related to bullying, most people who live in northeast Dallas are in Richardson ISD and aren’t covered by those policies.
Neither is a sliver of West Dallas residents who go to Irving ISD or those in East Dallas who attend Mesquite schools.
Next year, MEI scoring based on anti-bullying policy at schools will be replaced by scoring based on city policy that covers parks and city facilities. Narvaez pointed out that in Dallas, nondiscrimination at all city facilities is covered by ordinance as well as by city charter.