Atlanta scored 82 out of 100 on LGBT issues in the new Municipal Equality Index released by the Human Rights Campaign.
Three other Georgia municipalities — all known for being LGBT-friendly — received much lower scores: Decatur received a score of 27, the North Druid Hills area of Dekalb County received 15 and Avondale Estates, home to openly gay State Rep. Karla Drenner, scored 8.
The report examines almost 50 LGBT-related criteria in 137 cities, including the 50 state capitals, 50 cities with the highest populations in the country, and the top 25 large cities, top 25 medium-sized cities, and top 25 small cities with the highest concentrations of same-sex couples identified in the 2010 U.S. Census.
Scores are based on policies and procedures and are not a measure of the "climate" for LGBT people, since some areas can seem friendly and accepting even without actual laws on the books, HRC stressed.