TOPEKA — Kansas’ most LGBTQ+ friendly cities have inclusive policies, leaders who publicly support equality, and non-discrimination practices.

Of nine cities surveyed across the state, Topeka and Lawrence top the list, both with scores of 100, while Wichita and Overland Park follow with scores of 97 and 96 respectively.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the Equality Federation Institute released Thursday the 2024 rankings from the annual Municipal Equality Index, which evaluates cities across the U.S. on how inclusive they are of LGBTQ+ people.

The ratings take a look at cities’ non-discrimination laws, municipality employment practices, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.

“While certain federal and state anti-equality politicians continue to single people out to bully based on race or gender, local communities continue showing up for each other and fighting for our freedoms, our families, and our futures,” said Fran Hutchins, executive director of Equality Federation Institute, in a Thursday news release.

The rest of the Kansas cities surveyed all scored below 80.

Manhattan scored a 79, Kansas City, Kansas, a 69, Hutchinson a 68, Olathe a 62 and Emporia a 57. The organizations select cities to rank based on size, the presence of a public university, high proportions of same-sex couples and whether it is a state capital.

The index, which is in its 13th iteration, found in 2024 a record-breaking number of cities that scored a 100. Even so, Hutchins said, the need to invest in local leaders and in “the fight for local protections wherever possible” persists.

“Local advocates are tirelessly working to shield their communities and affirm the power and strength of queer and trans individuals, even in the face of discriminatory state laws,” she said. “Yet, while some cities are making progress, the overall landscape remains challenging.”

LGBTQ+ Kansans faced multiple attempts from Republican state lawmakers in recent years to restrict health care access for young people, limit the use of public facilities and generally subjugate identity politics in their favor by proposing anti-LGBTQ+ policies under the guise of women’s rights.

What set Kansas’ highest-scoring cities apart from the rest were leadership, law enforcement and local services. Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita each have an LGBTQ+ police liaison or task force while the other cities do not.

The Lawrence and Topeka city governments provide direct services to vulnerable LGBTQ+ populations, such as youths, people experiencing homelessness and people with HIV or AIDS. Lawrence additionally provides services to LGBTQ+ older adults and supports for its transgender community.

All cities met the standards for nondiscrimination laws. Emporia faltered when evaluating law enforcement and leadership, and Olathe and Hutchinson lost points in the leadership category. Manhattan and Kansas City, Kansas, scored a few points in each category, but not enough to rank either above 80 points.

— Anna Kaminski reports for Kansas Reflector.