AMHERST — Amherst came close to a perfect score on the Municipal Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, earning 99 out of a possible 100 points.

The Municipality Equality Index is a nationwide evaluation of cities and towns on how inclusive municipal laws, policies and services are for LGBTQ+ people who live and work in those communities. Ratings are based on nondiscrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.

Town Manager Paul Bockelman said the high score represents Amherst’s dedication to creating a community where everyone feels welcomed and valued. “This achievement is a testament to the hard work of our town departments, community leaders and advocates who strive to ensure that Amherst is an inclusive space for all,” Bockelman said.

Among local initiatives include implementation of comprehensive nondiscrimination policies in all areas of municipal operations, providing town services to LGBTQ+ youth, people experiencing homelessness and older adults, and having elected and appointed leaders who openly identify as LGBTQ+.

Amherst lost out on a perfect score by not having an official LGBTQ+ liaison for the Police Department. Though this service has long been provided, Police Chief Gabriel Ting recently appointed Detective Marcus Humber to that role, where he will be accessible to the town’s LGBTQ+ community and bring any concerns to Ting and town officials.

Northampton, one of eight other Massachusetts communities participating in the evaluation, achieved a perfect score.

Amherst is committed to committed to continuous improvement and enhancement of its policies and practices, said Pamela Nolan Young, director of the Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “While this score is an important milestone, the journey toward full equality and inclusion is ongoing,” she said.

Philip Avila, assistant director of the Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. said it’s essential the LGBTQ+ community feels safe and valued.

“Ensuring safety and representation helps break down stereotypes, strengthens community bonds and promotes equality,” Avila said. “Amherst’s commitment to inclusivity is key to building a town where everyone, regardless of their identity, belongs and flourishes.”

Human Rights Campaign Foundation President Kelley Robinson explained that for LGBTQ+ people, building community isn’t just a phrase, it’s a way of life. “In many important ways, local politics shapes our lives just as much as state or national politics does,” Robinson said. “Mayors and city councilors who take LGBTQ+ inclusion seriously build stronger communities, and in turn their cities thrive.”

Young Feminist Party mural

Four waves of feminism from the early 19th century to present day are depicted in a five-panel mural being painted in the Mill District in North Amherst by members of the Amherst Young Feminist Party.

Designed by Ada Paessel, the organization’s outreach director, the mural exemplifies the importance of social movements, specifically focused on gender equality. Paessel collaborated on the mural with W.D. Cowls Executive Director Cinda Jones, who brought forward concepts from her never-realized feminist mural in 1986.

The Amherst Young Feminist Party pursues gender equality through support of bodily autonomy, right to contraception, access to gender-affirming care and the simple right to live freely. A launch event will take place when the mural is complete.

Stuffing cruisers

Amherst and UMass Police officers are partnering with the the Bridge Family Resource Center for a “stuff our cruisers” event on Sunday.

Between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., officers will be outside the Walmart store at Mountain Farms Mall in Hadley, encouraging people to pick up unwrapped toys, games or other gifts for children at that store or other area businesses. Those will will then be placed in the cruisers and donated to the resource center.

Toys can also be dropped off at the police station lobbies at 111 Main St. and 585 East Pleasant St.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A reading of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will take place Dec. 10 at 5:30 p.m. on the Town Common.

The annual event is sponsored by the Human Rights Commission and local chapters of the ACLU and Amnesty International.

UMass professor honored

Black Maple Magazine founder and editor in chief Charmaine A. Nelson, who teaches at the University of Massachusetts, was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Universities Art Association of Canada.

Nelson is an art historian, provost professor of art history, and founding director of Slavery North, which she created in 2020 and brought to Amherst. Nelson has also earned a $2.65 million Mellon Foundation award, the largest such grant ever made to UMass Amherst.

Meetings

MONDAY: Cultural Council, 6 p.m.; Streetscape Workshop, 6:30 p.m., Town Room, Town Hall.

TUESDAY: Public Shade Tree Committee, 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Cultural Council, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: Zoning Board of Appeals, 6 p.m.