The top ten are steady.
The bottom is getting worse.
The middle is disappearing.
Out Leadership's 8th annual State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index. Six states have held the top tier every year since 2019. Seven have held the bottom every year. Between them, the gap has widened by 11 points, and three of America's biggest Fortune 500 hubs now sit in open conflict with their own state laws.
Policy is lived. Climate is felt. Both show up on the P&L.
Eight years ago, Out Leadership set out to measure something the corporate world had never quantified: what it actually feels like to live LGBTQ+ in each U.S. state, and what that lived experience costs the businesses operating there. The framework was built on a premise that has only sharpened with time. The laws, courts, and political climates that shape an LGBTQ+ person's daily life are the same forces that shape where companies can recruit talent, retain executives, win contracts, and keep their people safe. The Index measures both at once, year after year, so leaders and lawmakers can see what their decisions actually cost — in dollars, in talent, and in lives.
Six findings that defined 2026.
Each finding is sourced and footnoted in the full report. The expanded 32-indicator framework, debuting this year, captures legislative shifts the legacy 20-indicator framework couldn't see.
Click any state to see its 2026 score, finding, and share kit.
Each state's color reflects its 2026 expanded score on the 0–100 scale. Pick one — on the map or from the list — to load its rank, the press-worthy finding, a side-by-side compare tool, a ready-to-post share kit (caption + image), and three actions built for that state's tier.
A briefing for every state.
Pro bono legal review by Ropes & Gray. Each Brief gives executives the score, the political environment, the talent and economic implications, and the strategic considerations specific to that state.
From governors and equality leaders.
Six governors and the Movement Advancement Project on what the data means — and what business leaders should do about it.
Policy is a P&L line.
76% of Gen Z workers say they will not take jobs in anti-equality states. (HRC, 2025)
$3.76 billion in canceled investments and conventions cost North Carolina after HB2. (Associated Press)
75% of consumers say they will boycott companies that fail to take a stand on LGBTQ+ inclusion. (FCB, 2024)
3% GDP gain is what the Williams Institute estimates the U.S. economy could see from full LGBTQ+ workforce inclusion. (Williams Institute)
32 indicators. 5 categories. One transparent framework.
Every score links back to a public data source, MAP, HRC, the Williams Institute, the ALA, NCSL, BEA, the Census, the FBI, the CDC, the ACLU, and federal court records. Every indicator's rubric is published. The CEO Business Briefs were reviewed pro bono by Ropes & Gray.
- 1Legal / Non-Discrimination, 6 indicators, 30 max points
- 2Youth / Family, 7 indicators, 35 max points
- 3Political / Religious, 6 indicators, 30 max points
- 4Health / Safety, 6 indicators, 30 max points
- 5Work / Economic, 7 indicators, 35 max points
Read the full 2026 Index.
The complete report includes the 32-indicator framework, all state and territory scoring, year-over-year movers and drivers, post-Chiles v. Salazar conversion-therapy analysis, and the full economic-impact case.