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Dallas And Fort Worth Scored Perfectly On Index Measuring LGBT Inclusivity, Equality

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The Municipal Equality Index rates more than 500 U.S. cities on "non-discrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and the city leadership's public position on equality.

Five stories that have North Texas talking: Clinton’s campaign is going on the Texas airwaves; First Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress explains his support for Trump; infamous Texas Chainsaw Massacre gas station will serve barbecue; and more.

This year, Dallas and Fort Worth scored a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. The index ranks select cities based on the inclusivity of their laws and services for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

In the fifth edition of the report, Austin was the only other Texas city to match Dallas and Fort Worth. They are three of 60 cities that scored perfectly. But North Texas’ suburbs all scored in the lower half, except for Plano. And, taken altogether, Texas cities scored below the national average of 55 out of 100.

Click each city to see the details of its score:

The 2016 MEI rates 506 cities from every state in the U.S. The number of cities rated increased by 98 cities from 2015 and increased by 369 cities since 2012. [Human Rights Campaign]

  • Hillary Clinton is launching a one-week ad buy in Texas. The 30-second commercial will highlight Clinton’s recent endorsement from The Dallas Morning News. The newspaper hadn’t endorsed a Democrat for president in more than 75 years and 20 elections. The ad buy comes as polls continue to show the presidential race in Texas closer than usual, The Texas Tribune reports. A WFAA/SurveyUSA poll released Thursday found Trump leading by only 4 points. The spot will air in Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio and online. [The Texas Tribune]

 

  • First Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress of Dallas talked with NPR about his support for Trump. Jeffress says Trump politically redeemed himself in the second presidential debate two days after 2005 footage leaked of the Republican nominee bragging about kissing and groping women without permission. Jeffress, a member of Trump’s religious advisory board, says evangelicals have elected a “known womanizer” and divorcee for president in the past — Ronald Reagan. Listen to the full interview. [NPR]

 

  • The gas station used in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is open for business. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the fuel stop made famous by the 1974 horror film is now known simply as The Gas Station. It sells film memorabilia and will eventually sell barbecue. The gas station had its grand re-opening on Oct. 8. Actors Ed Neal, who played “the hitchhiker” in the first film and Caroline Williams, who played “Stretch” in the sequel, will make guest appearances around Halloween weekend. [Fort Worth Star-Telegram]

 

  • A report of a suspicious package in downtown Austin Monday turned out to be a jar of pickled okra. The Austin American-Statesman reports, “Police determined a suspicious package was nothing more than a bag containing a jar of the okra about two hours after police received a report of a suspicious package that triggered the response of Austin police's bomb squad and closed 10th Street near Interstate 35, Austin police said.” The road was opened again on Monday. [Austin American-Statesman]