Hawai‘i Ranks Third Among Best States for LGBTQ+ Families

Click image to enlarge. Graphic courtesy of Move.org.

A new report released by Move.org in honor of Pride Month ranks Hawai‘i third in the nation among the best states to live in for LGBTQ+ families.

The Aloha State ranked high due to its anti-discrimination laws and hate crime laws which cover both sexual orientation and gender identity. Adoption laws in Hawai‘i are also favorable for LGBTQ+ families because they allow same-sex couples to petition for joint adoption, according to Move.org.

The report named Hawai‘i, Maui and Honolulu county as the best locations within the state for LGBTQ+ families. Hawai‘i’s LGBTQ+ population is among the highest in the nation, accounting for 3.8 percent of the state’s total residents. This equates to about 42,581 LGBT-identifying individuals living in the islands. The study also reported that 3,239 same-sex couples live in Hawai‘i. Roughly 15.8 percent of them are raising children.

Analysts at Move.org determined the rankings by assessing which states have hate crime and anti-discrimination laws in place, and whether or not they require minors wanting a conversion to undergo mental health counseling. Other factors included the number of businesses listed among the Human Rights Campaign’s “Best Places to Work in 2018,” and the number of same-sex couples and pride centers residing in a state.