Our partnerships make our work possible. The first State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index released in 2019 was funded by a grant from the Gill Foundation. The Index is based on data graciously shared by the Movement Advancement Project and the Williams Institute. Ropes & Gray is our pro bono legal partner for the CEO Business Briefs globally, and their research informs this Index. FCB partnered with us to conduct original market research into American attitudes toward LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion, informing the Regional Context section of the State CEO Briefs. America Competes supported the development of the scoring for the Risk Assessments, particularly for the Future Risk score.

Out Leadership and FCB partnered on original market research into the attitudes of American workers on LGBT+ inclusion, which fielded in 2019 and 2020. These briefs as a whole will be updated on an ongoing basis by Out Leadership because we recognize the ever-changing nature of policy on the local, state, and national level.

The Northeast has the lowest percentage of those who are out at work (49.6%). LGBT+ workers in urban environments, however, do feel slightly more comfortable talking about their personal lives vs. urban LGBT+ workers for the rest of the country (17% more likely than nationwide). Workers in this region are more likely to hear or engage in negative conversations about LGBT+ people at work. Particularly for the non-LGBT+ group, which is 23% more likely to report observing or experiencing negative conversations about LGBT+ people vs the nation as a whole. Despite being more likely to hear negative conversations at work, workers in this region are the least likely to say that they hear this negativity from state leadership. They are 61% less likely to report that leadership in their state talks about LGBT+ people in predominantly negative terms. Like most regions, there is a strong difference between urban and rural audiences, especially for the self-rated importance of team diversity when looking for jobs. LGBT+/Allies living in Rural areas care the least about diverse teams when looking for jobs (49% less likely than nationwide). Finally, audiences in the Northeast were 20% more likely to list “Supporting LGBT+ Pride celebrations” as one of their top three ways businesses can demonstrate their support for the community.

Unless otherwise noted, all comparisons for more or less likely are compared to the National results. Regional results are based off of 1,500 respondents (LGBT+ and Non-LGBT+ responses have been weighted to be age-representative for each audience in each region). National results are based off of 600 respondents representative of each audience (LGBT+ vs Non-LGBT+).

States in the Northeast region included: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont.

Legal status of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community

• Rhode Island’s laws protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, credit, and accommodations.
• The state even protects against the perception of one’s sexual orientation and gender identity, meaning a person could potentially seek recourse under the law even if they aren’t a member of the group for which they are allegedly being persecuted.
• The employment antidiscrimination law applies to all public employers, as well as private employers with four or more workers.
• It’s illegal to discriminate against children in Rhode Island on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
• The state does not permit adoption agencies to decline prospective parents based on religious beliefs.
• Rhode Island has had a religious exemption law since 1993. It bans the state from restricting a person’s “free exercise of religion” unless the restriction is generally applicable and does not “intentionally discriminate against religion, or among religions,” and the governmental authority proves that the restriction is “essential” to further a compelling governmental interest and is using the least restrictive means of furthering that interest.
• Exposure to HIV is not explicitly criminalized in Rhode Island. However, there is a misdemeanor offense for sexually transmitted diseases on the books. The statute specifically prohibits anyone from knowingly exposing another person to the disease. Violations include a $100 fine or a three-month prison sentence.
• There are hate crimes protections covering sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, but the enhanced sentencing that hate crimes carry doesn’t extend to the latter.
• Rhode Island banned conversion therapy for minors by licensed professionals in 2017. It’s not illegal to conduct conversion therapy in an unlicensed situation, but it isn’t eligible for insurance reimbursement or coverage.

Legal status of the Transgender Community

• Applicants can change the gender markers on a birth certificate if they have undergone gender affirmation “based on contemporary clinical standards.” The updated certificate will state that it has been amended but won’t specify what changed. A nonbinary option is available.
• Updating the gender marker on a driver’s license simply requires surrendering the current license and completing a form for a new one.
• Name changes on a driver’s license require that applicants get a name-change order from a court, update their social security records, and then wait 24 hours before updating other documentation.
• Medicaid covers transgender healthcare in Rhode Island, including mental health treatment, hormone therapy and sexual confirmation surgery.
• Insurance denials based on gender identity, expression or dysphoria is considered sex discrimination and is banned under state law.

Government statements and actions

• Governor Gina Raimondo publicly supported Pride Month in June 2019 after the state’s top Catholic official warned his followers to stay away from the event.
• In August 2019, Raimondo committed to adding a nonbinary gender option to birth certificates and driver’s licenses within a year. They have already been added to birth certificates.
• In July 2018, she signed a law mandating that death certificates reflect people’s gender identity.
• The state’s public health department has a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equity Group devoted to improving public health policies and outcomes for LGBT+ Rhode Islanders.