Joel Burns is no stranger to conflict surrounding LGBTQ rights in Fort Worth. The first and only to have served on Fort Worth City Council, he advocated for several initiatives and ordinance changes to further LGBTQ rights across the city.
Burns, who represented District 9 from 2008 to 2014, took on the task of improving public perception of Cowtown鈥檚 stance on LGBTQ issues. In addition to his viral addressing gay teens in 2010, Burns worked closely with the national advocacy group Human Rights Campaign to bring up Fort Worth鈥檚 score on the organization鈥檚 Municipal Equality Index, which grades cities across the country annually on their inclusion of LGBTQ residents.
His efforts paid off when Fort Worth scored 99 points on the index in 2015 and a perfect 100 in 2016. Fort Worth continued its streak of scoring 100s until 2024, when the score dipped to 97. Four other Texas cities earned a 100 last year: Dallas, Arlington, Austin and San Antonio.
Although a three-point difference doesn鈥檛 look like much of a dip in mathematical terms, Burns and other members of Fort Worth鈥檚 LGBTQ community worry that the declining score indicates a backslide on LGBTQ inclusion. The Municipal Equality Index is more than a number on a scorecard, Burns said, it can send a valuable message to Fort Worth鈥檚 LGBTQ residents and workforce.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so important for us to not only send the message to people who might consider moving to Fort Worth and to work for Fort Worth 鈥� that they鈥檙e welcome,鈥� Burns said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for us as a city to send a message 鈥� to all city employees that they are valued, that they are going to be protected, and that their families are going to be valued and protected. I think having a 100 score does that.鈥�
Reyne Telles, the city鈥檚 chief communications officer, did not return a request for comment on the city鈥檚 score. The city鈥檚 communications office also did not return a request for comment via its general media line. A January press release about the score was no longer live on the city鈥檚 website as of Jan. 27.
The , which launched in 2012, examines how inclusive a city鈥檚 laws, policies and services are of LGBTQ people who live and work in a city, according to the Human Rights Campaign鈥檚 website.
Cities are graded on five categories: non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. Cities can also earn flex points for each category, which are considered bonus points awarded for pro-LGBTQ efforts the Human Rights Campaign considers unrealistic for all cities to accomplish.
City鈥檚 lower score follows string of LGBTQ-related controversies
Fort Worth鈥檚 lower score follows a year marked by controversies surrounding LGBTQ equality across the city. In June, council members recognizing Pride month after four council members refused to sign off on the recognition, which required unanimous support from council members in order to get presented.
Fallout over the issue, as well as other proclamations that failed to pass, ultimately led the city to on behalf of the entire council. Now, the highest form of recognition comes exclusively from the mayor鈥檚 office.
Also in June of last year, for allowing the conservative activist group Texas Latinos United for Conservative Action to host an event discussing 鈥渢he impact of LGBT ideology, the social contagion of transgenderism, and the dangers of pornography鈥� at a city-owned community center. That event 鈥� as well as a hosted by Tarrant conservative group True Texas Project at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden 鈥� ultimately led city officials to on discriminatory events hosted on city-owned property.
At the end of the summer, two council members about a new Human Relations Commission subcommittee designed to , suggesting that city staff were pushing personal political agendas.
Council member Elizabeth Beck, the current District 9 representative, said she鈥檚 disappointed but not surprised that Fort Worth鈥檚 eight-year streak of perfect scores has ended.
鈥淚鈥檝e been expecting this. It鈥檚 a natural consequence of our actions as a city,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淚 expected there to be some sort of consequence to our rating as a result of what we鈥檝e seen on council this (past) year, and it鈥檚 a shame that that we lost those points because of the direct actions of members of council 鈥� not because of something someone else did, but because of alleged leaders in our community.鈥�
Cathryn Oakley, the Human Rights Campaign鈥檚 senior director of legal policy who founded the Municipal Equality Index, said at least one of those incidents 鈥� the failure to pass a Pride proclamation 鈥� contributed to Fort Worth losing points on the 2024 index. The organization looks at factors like participation in a Pride parade and outreach efforts to LGBTQ residents on issues that affect them.
鈥淏ecause we like the documentation, we love it when it鈥檚 something like a proclamation or an ordinance or a new project 鈥� something that we can point to,鈥� Oakley said.
Council member Charlie Lauersdorf, one of the four council members who declined to sign off on the drafted Pride proclamation in June, said he stands by his decision. The other three council members 鈥� Alan Blaylock, Michael Crain and Macy Hill 鈥� did not return requests for comment.
Lauersdorf previously said he chose not to sign off on the proclamation because he didn鈥檛 know enough about the organizations named in the proclamation to explicitly endorse them. The drafted proclamation would have recognized the work of several LGBTQ-serving organizations in Fort Worth, including LGBTQ Saves, Finn鈥檚 Place, Trinity Pride and YesterQueer.
鈥淎s stated many times before, and I will state it again, my reasons for not signing onto the proclamation, as written, had nothing to do with the LGBTQ community, but had everything to do with the organizations listed and not knowing much, if anything, about them. It has been politicized by many, including the media,鈥� Lauersdorf said in a statement. 鈥淭here was the opportunity to rewrite the proclamation to be more inclusive, but those that wrote it doubled down and looked to create division, not unity 鈥� putting politics over people.鈥�
Oakley added that Human Rights Campaign staff compile cities鈥� scores based on public documentation, media reports and conversations with partners. She noted that the category 鈥淟eadership on LGBTQ+ Equality,鈥� which Fort Worth scored five out of eight available points on, is the only subjective section of the index.
鈥淭here are lots of folks who are considered leaders in a city ecosystem, and being able to identify sort of what does leadership look like across that entire ecosystem means that good things 鈥� are going to be put into the same bag as bad things that are done by other folks,鈥� Oakley said. 鈥淎nd so it definitely does turn into a little bit of a mixed bag.鈥�
Each year, the Human Rights Campaign creates preliminary scorecards for the cities it grades, then sends those scorecards to the cities so they can provide further documentation to help improve their scores, if needed or applicable. Historically, Fort Worth has participated in the feedback process each year but did not in 2024, Oakley said. She added that it鈥檚 common for cities not to interact with the organization about their scorecards.
DeeJay Johannessen, CEO of the Fort Worth-based Help Center for LGBT Health and Wellness, said Fort Worth鈥檚 lowered score was 鈥渟ad but not surprising鈥� as the city witnessed its leaders step back from what he described as 鈥渢raditional supportive engagement鈥� of the LGBTQ community.
鈥淭his score indicates that. Sadly, it鈥檚 very shortsighted on behalf of the leadership,鈥� Johannessen said. 鈥淲hat this (Municipal Equality Index) is used for is individuals who are looking to find a city to live in, to raise their family and to thrive, and also for businesses looking at where they鈥檙e going to relocate to. This is an economic development issue.鈥�
The Help Center Jan. 22, describing the lower score as a 鈥渄owngrade鈥� for Fort Worth.
鈥淭his passivity in leadership endangers Fort Worth鈥檚 cultural and economic future,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淚n continuing down this path, Fort Worth risks becoming less economically successful, less interesting, and less culturally vibrant.鈥�
LGBTQ residents, city leader unsure whether score will return to 100
Burns, the former City Council member, said he understands the political pressure current council members are facing in regard to LGBTQ topics. Back in 2009, he fought a 鈥渢ough battle鈥� in convincing his colleagues to update the city鈥檚 nondiscrimination ordinance to include protections for transgender people. The ordinance was approved with a 6-3 vote from council members.
More than 15 years later, council members are facing significant pressure from their constituents as the political environment in Texas becomes more tense, he said. Many in opposition of LGBTQ equality feel emboldened to speak out, especially as Tarrant鈥檚 elected officials veer farther and farther to the right of the political spectrum, he added.
鈥淚 get that both then and now sometimes council members operate from a place of fear, and they don鈥檛 want to set off some of these extremist right-wing voices,鈥� Burns said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 that place of fear, I think, that is unfortunately pervasive when you鈥檙e an elected official, and leading by getting into the least trouble, which in my opinion, isn鈥檛 really leadership. But it鈥檚 also pragmatism, too. If you want to keep serving, you have to keep getting elected, and you can鈥檛 piss off a bunch of folks.鈥�
Although Fort Worth鈥檚 score has remained stable for the last eight years, Oakley said it鈥檚 common for some cities鈥� scores to fluctuate a few points from year to year.
鈥�97 is an exceptional score, especially 鈥� in Texas. Fort Worth has continued to be a leader on this,鈥� Oakley said. 鈥淐ertainly there are points that they are no longer getting, but that may be more clerical than anything else, and it鈥檚 very likely their score will go back up to 100 next year.鈥�
Beck, the current council member, said she hopes to see Fort Worth鈥檚 score bounce back to 100 this year. However, council members won鈥檛 have the opportunity to support a Pride proclamation this year, as the highest form of recognition now comes solely from the mayor鈥檚 office. Individual council members can give special recognitions, which are issued by a single council member on behalf of the city.
This June, Beck hopes to see Mayor Mattie Parker, who declined to comment on the score, issue a recognition to celebrate the LGBTQ community during Pride month.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 predict the future or the behaviors of my colleagues or residents, but what I can say is that I will always fight to do what鈥檚 right by our LGBTQ community,鈥� Beck said. 鈥淭hat backside is important to me. If we get back to 100, it means we鈥檙e moving in the right direction.鈥�
Fort Worth at 鈥榓n inflection point,鈥� former council member says
Felipe Gutierrez, a longtime Fort Worth resident and leader in the LGBTQ community who has drafted Fort Worth鈥檚 Pride proclamations since 2014, said he hopes council members take steps to mend relationships with the LGBTQ community that were damaged over the last year. Residents will also have the opportunity to consider who they want representing them this year, as are up for election in May, he noted.
鈥�(I hope) that they learn about their constituents. Even though you might represent a district that you believe is all white or all Latina or all African American, the reality is that there鈥檚 a mixture of people in your districts that you represent,鈥� Gutierrez said of current council members. 鈥淛ust because you鈥檙e the elected person doesn鈥檛 mean you鈥檙e the king or the queen of your district. You also have the responsibility to learn from your constituents.鈥�
Since June, Lauersdorf said he has taken time to learn about one of the organizations listed in the Pride proclamation, LGBTQ Saves. He said he talks often with the organization鈥檚 founder, Sharon Herrera, which has given him the opportunity to learn more about the LGBTQ community and its needs and desires. Now, he 鈥渨holeheartedly鈥� supports LGBTQ Saves, he said.
鈥淢y door is open, and I am available should those other organizations wish to reach out,鈥� Lauersdorf said.
Although he hates to see Fort Worth鈥檚 score dip, Burns acknowledged the three-point difference is 鈥渏ust something to watch鈥� rather than cause for serious alarm. He echoed Gutierrez鈥檚 comments, saying Fort Worth鈥檚 2025 score could be dependent on who residents vote to represent them in the upcoming council elections. It could also depend on the statewide political environment after the 2025 legislative session concludes.
Regardless of those circumstances, Burns said, he hopes to see current council members 鈥渄o some soul searching鈥� and evaluate their priorities for the city.
鈥淭his is an inflection point. It鈥檚 an opportunity for our council members to reflect and decide what kind of Fort Worth they want to have going forward and how welcoming of a Fort Worth they want to have going forward,鈥� Burns said. 鈥淚 hope that they take that time to reflect and to consider what kind of Fort Worth they want to have. It鈥檚 an opportunity, and I hope that they don鈥檛 miss it.鈥�
Cecilia Lenzen is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at cecilia.lenzen@fortworthreport.org or .
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