New Study Measures the State of LGBT Equality in America

2015 was a year of great progress, but we still have a long way to go.

Last year saw marriage equality sweep across the United States, a massive legal victory for the LGBT community and one reflected the huge strides the we've made in recent decades, especially in the court of public opinion. However, as the above graphic shows, the rights of LGBT people still vary drastically from state to state.

Out and Equal, an organization dedicated to measuring and extending equality within the workplace and business world, used date compiled from across the country to create a map that skews the representation of states in accordance with their approach to LGBT people. The markers used were family status, non-discrimination policies, safety, health, and the ability to appropriately self-identify on ID cards and documentation. The two worst states in the union, it was found, are Tennessee and Alabama.

The release of the graphic is timely, as the World Economic Forum is currently being held in Davos, Switzerland. Selisse Berry, founder and CEO of Out & Equal Workplace Advocates, released the following statement in response to Vice President Joe Biden's heated defense of LGBT rights earlier this week: