MAYOR SAYS NEW STUDY REINFORCES

 HOW INCLUSIVE HARTFORD REALLY IS

 

---NEWS RELEASE---

 

(October 13, 2006)--- Mayor Eddie A. Perez is proud that once again Hartford is showing that diversity is its strength.  The latest study from the Williams Institute shows that Hartford’s gay, lesbian, and bisexual population is growing and making significant contributions to the Capital City.

 

Mayor Perez says, “Hartford is known for being the City of Hope and Opportunity.  I’d like to add inclusiveness to that title.  When it comes to Civil Unions, Equal Rights, and progressive attitudes, Hartford has always been in the forefront.”

 

According to the Williams Institute, the number of gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals make up nearly 7-percent of Hartford’s population, the 10^th-highest among U.S. cities.  The top ten rankings are:

1.      San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

2.      Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue

3.      Boston-Cambridge-Quincy

4.      Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton

5.      Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater

6.      Austin-Round Rock

7.      Denver-Aurora

8.      Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington

9.      Orlando-Kissimmee

10.  Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford

 

Domestic partnerships have been recognized in Hartford since 1983.  On October 1, 2005, Connecticut became only the second state in the nation to permit Civil Unions.  In the past year, 63 Civil Unions have been performed in the Capital City.