Ann Arbor ranked as Michigan’s second most LGBT-friendly city

And the competition continues, with East Lansing edging us out on the LGBT-friendly designation, scoring a perfect 100 out of 100. Knocked from its first-place slot, Ann Arbor secures number two with 83 out of 100 according to the Human Rights Campaign. Excerpt: "The Human Rights Campaign examined 353 municipalities in the U.S. to see how open their governments are toward people who identify as as being lesbians, gay, bisexual or transgender. East Lansing scored a perfect 100 out of 100 total points, based on six criteria that focused on city laws and government outreach; it was one of only 38 cities in the U.S. to do so, according to the report. The study said that being open to gays and lesbians can help cities develop and attract talent, an issue in Michigan, where attracting college grads has been a challenge. "Being welcoming to all residents and visitors reflects the core values of our university community," East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett said in the report, released Wednesday. "It's part of who we are." The city, for example, has an ordinance banning discrimination against the LGBT community and also includes transgender people in health coverage." Read the rest here.