List of country’s most tolerant states puts Nevada at No. 20

By Jackie Valley

Monday, Jan. 17, 2011 | 1:42 p.m.

It might be difficult to walk down Las Vegas Boulevard without somewhat of an open mind given the shenanigans and vices available at every turn.

Apparently, that's how many Nevadans feel. A list released by The Daily Beast ranks Nevada in the top half of the country's most tolerant states.

Coming in at No. 20, Nevada falls behind other tourist-laden destinations, such as California, New York and Florida, but ahead of neighboring states Oregon, Utah, Idaho and Arizona.

To compile the list, The Daily Beast said it used a point system based on state residents' actions and opinions, in addition to laws guaranteeing equal rights and protections, according to the website.

For instance, the site looked at the FBI's data of hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents.

Nevada was 23rd out of the 50 states in that category, with 2.1 hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents. In terms of discrimination cases filed with the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Nevada was 27th, with 15.9 discrimination cases filed per 100,000 residents.

Half of Nevada's population supports same-sex marriage, and 73 percent of residents believe many religions lead to eternal life, according to The Daily Beast.

Wisconsin, Maryland and Illinois took the top three spots, respectively, as the most tolerant states.

At the other end of the scope, Kansas, Arkansas and Wyoming might still have a long way to go — at least according to the rankings. They ranked 48th, 49th and 50th, respectively.