Advocacy Groups Rank States Based on Reproductive, Sexual Rights

Three advocacy groups — Ipas, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective — have created an interactive web site featuring state-by-state scores and rankings of state laws related to reproductive and lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender rights. The 50 states and the District of Columbia are ranked based on more than 20 indicators, including whether states allow public funding for family planning and abortion, whether health care providers can deny medical services because of their personal beliefs and whether abstinence-only curricula are taught in schools. The rankings place New Mexico and New York state in first place for having laws that promote reproductive and LGBT rights, and Ohio and South Dakota in last place.