Wanda McCants is the president of the Pride Community Services Organization. She has seen a lot of change in the 11 years she's lived in Lexington.

"I've seen so much growth in terms of a welcoming nature, some accountability when it comes to looking at what the needs of the community are," McCants said.

An above average score on the HRC's Municipality Equality Index, or MEI, surprised her. The MEI rates the livability of a city for its residents.

"I thought it would be lower, in some ways there's a lot of work to be done," McCants said.

McCants credits a longer and larger pride festival with more local support as a milestone for the city.

"I think Lexington is at the forefront of changes, not just here, but in smaller pockets in our community," she said.

She also said former Mayor Jim Gray, Mayor Linda Gorton and UK are paving the way for major changes.

In the new year, McCants wants to see higher marks in the areas of transgender healthcare and workplace inclusivity.

"Making sure people can have benefits for their partners in different places, making sure that we have a fairness ordinance that's stayed in place when it comes down to workplace discrimination or employment discrimination, making sure that people have access to housing," McCants said.