Online real estate company Trulia has set up a new search feature to help LGBTQ renters and homebuyers find the most welcoming neighborhoods. According to Architectural Digest, Trulia has launched a new quality-of-life metric called Local Legal Protections, which aims to assist the LGBTQ community with gauging non-discrimination laws in given jurisdictions.
Trulia offers additional quality-of-life metrics to help renters and homebuyers search for properties in neighborhoods they find appealing. The information provided by the real estate company includes crim ate, traffic congestion, and proximity to schools.
The new Local Legal Protections metric was created in partnership with the Movement Advancement Project, or MAP. MAP is an organization that researches and analyzes current laws and how they affect the LGBTQ community while also providing recommendations for how to improve the system.
But why would Trulia need to partner with MAP in order to make a metric such as this?
Coming Out Or Staying In? LGBTQ Discrimination In Housing
Federal housing and employment laws exist to help prevent property owners, real estate agents, and employers from discriminating based on race, sex, age, religion, and ethnicity. However, factors such as gender identity and sexual orientation aren’t covered by these laws.
Certain cities and areas have extended their anti-discrimination laws to include the LGBTQ community. In 2016, Central Florida GOP leaders signed anti-discrimination laws into effect in solidarity after the Pulse massacre.
However, other states and cities aren’t so fortunate. In fact, the state of Virginia recently killed a set of bills that would have banned discrimination in housing and jobs based on gender identity and sexuality.