GLENDALE, Ariz. — The face of Arizona is changing. One in five Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+, nearly twice as many as Millennials before them. And despite severe national challenges, advocates say that Arizona is on track for a more diverse and inclusive future.
On Thursday, the ONE Community Foundation presented its 2023 State of LGBTQ+ Report as part of its Point of Pride event. There, ONE Community's Chief Advocacy Officer Michael Soto outlined the progress Arizona has made, as well as the hurdles that lie ahead.
"It's about our values as American people," He said, "Do we believe in advancing our freedoms and liberties for all people, or not?"
Here's where Arizona's LGBTQ+ rights stand:
Cities protecting LGBTQ+ residents
Arizona has 11 cities with LGBTQ+ inclusive non-discrimination laws: Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Sedona, Winslow, Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tolleson and Chandler.
In 2020, there were only six Arizona cities that had those protections in place. Glendale passed its equality ordinances as recently as 2021, and Soto expects more cities to "lead the way."
"You are welcome in Glendale no matter who you are, or who you love," said Glendale City Councilmember Lauren Tolmachoff, who spoke at the event. "We want you in Glendale."
However, the report found that these ordinances protect only 52% of the state's population and cover 14.31% of the state's square mileage.
Outside of those areas, "I'm not covered as an LGBT person," Soto explained. "And I could be asked to leave a restaurant just for being who I am."
Workplace discrimination
The report found that in 2020, 46% of LGBTQ+ people nationwide reported that they'd experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. By 2021, that number climbed to 59%.
A 2020 Supreme Court decision ruled that companies don't have a right to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people in the workplace, so long as they have 15 or more employees. But any fewer, and the ruling doesn't apply.
Arizona has no statewide statutes forbidding workplace or housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Additionally, there are no state laws preventing someone from being denied public accommodation for the same reason.
But a new survey from the United States Chamber of Commerce found that small business owners broadly support taking action to ensure LGBTQ+ inclusion.
About 76% of employees and job seekers said a diverse workforce was important when evaluating companies and job offers.
And 86% of small business owners said that it was important to provide an inclusive culture for customers and guests – 72% said they were OK with losing customers as a result of supporting LGBTQ+ people.
The ONE Community report also found that, nationally, workplace discrimination costs roughly $493.2 million annually in worker retention, rehiring costs, lost wages, lawsuits, and investigation fees.
At the Capitol
Soto emphasized the role that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs has already played in advancing LGBTQ+ protections within the state.
Since taking office, Hobbs has pledged to veto all bills that restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals. Her first act in office was to sign an executive order expanding all-inclusive employment protections to all state employees.
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Despite a divided state government, Soto said that Hobbs has been "an amazing backstop against a kinda dysfunctional legislature," and added that he hopes future legislatures are "ready to work with Hobbs in a bipartisan way."
Likewise, the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act, signed late last year, requires states to give full faith and credit to same-sex married couples. It provided faith-based organizations with the freedom to choose whether or not they would perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples but ensured that civil protections would remain intact across state and city lines.
Fourteen Republicans, including former Arizona State Rep. Rusty Bowers, broke party lines to support the bill and pass it through the legislature.
Discrimination in the classroom
In 2022, two of the 17 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in the Arizona state legislature were signed into law by former Republican Gov. Doug Ducey. One of those laws limits sports participation for transgender girls, and the other blocks healthcare access for trans minors.
But there are few trans athletes in Arizona schools. Since 2017, about 16 trans athletes have asked for waivers to play on teams that align with their gender identities out of about 170,000 high school athletes in the state, and not all were granted, according to the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
Both laws are facing challenges in court from impacted families.
In 2023, a record-setting number of more than 650 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have already been introduced across state and federal legislatures.
"Most of the time in this country, what has made this country unique and special in the world, is that we have worked for the advancement of freedom," Soto said. "And we're seeing the opposite of that happening today in terms of LGBTQ people."
Next steps
In 2022, the ONE Community Foundation helped push forward the Equality and Fairness for All Arizonans Act, which would have expanded Arizona’s current non-discrimination protections to gay and transgender Arizonans in employment, housing, and public accommodations while still protecting religious rights for institutions of faith.
While the bill ultimately didn't pass in 2022, the foundation plans to reintroduce it following the 2024 election cycle.
"Gen Z and Millennials are a whole different ballgame than Gen X and Baby Boomers," Soto explained.
According to the report, the higher rate of LGBTQ+-identifying adults within younger demographics means that more and more people will be impacted by anti-inclusive practices.
And Soto said that with wider-reaching support, they'll be able to update Arizona's non-discrimination laws to include LGBTQ+ people by 2025.
For more information about Point of Pride, visit www.ONEcommunity.com.
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