Gay marriage rally in Portland

A local couple applauds Jeana Frazzini, the Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon, during a gay rights rally at Terry Schrunk Plaza in June. Community members and local leaders rallied to celebrate the Supreme Court decision concerning the Defense of Marriage Act. The event was hosted by Oregon United for Marriage.

(Sunny Strader/The Oregonian)

,

and

ranked among the top U.S. cities for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality, according to a national report by

.

The organization rated 291 U.S. cities in its

. Of the three cities it rated in Oregon, Portland scored a full 100 points, Eugene 93 points and Salem 91 points.

Cities that scored 100 points

Arizona: Phoenix

California: Long Beach, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco, West Hollywood

Connecticut: New Haven

Georgia: Atlanta

Illinois: Chicago

Maryland: Baltimore

Massachusetts: Boston, Cambridge

Minnesota: Minneapolis

Missouri: Kansas City, St. Louis

Montana: Missoula

New Jersey: Jersey City

New York: New York City

Ohio: Columbus

Oregon: Portland

Pennsylvania: Philadelphia

Texas: Austin

Washington: Seattle

Wisconsin: Madison

Oregon scores:

Portland (100), Eugene (93), Salem (91).

The ratings took into consideration such factors as local non-discrimination laws, recognition of gay and lesbian relationships, the inclusion of LGBT communities in municipal services, law enforcement interactions with LGBT communities and other criteria.

The average score was 57, and 25 cities received a perfect 100 score. Half of the cities scored above 60 points.

"This year's index finds that cities across the country, including in Oregon, continued to prove that municipalities will act to support equality for LGBT people, even when states and the federal government have failed to do so," said the Human Rights Campaign's press release on the index.

Report authors dinged Portland and Eugene for not having an LGBT liaison in the mayor's office. Eugene and Salem were dinged for not requiring city contractors to provide equal benefits to employees with same-sex spouses.

Unsurprisingly, big cities on the coasts scored high in the report, but so did mid-sized cities in "Middle America," which tend to attract sexual minorities in their respective regions.

Eight of the 25 cities that scored 100 are located in states without comprehensive relationship recognition and statewide non-discrimination laws.

Oregon has registered domestic partnerships, and

effort to allow voters in November 2014 to overturn a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

An

said state agencies must recognize legal, same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries.

-- Yuxing Zheng