Since Arizona doesn’t have a statewide statute that protects lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination in the workplace and other areas, several municipalities have taken it upon themselves to enact ordinances that prohibit discrimination in employment based on a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity. 

This week, Sedona approved an ordinance that protects LGBT people from discrimination in the workplace, housing and public accommodations, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona. Flagstaff, Tempe and Tucson also have similar rules in place.

Still, Arizona is among more than 30 states that the Human Rights Campaign has criticized for not having a statewide statute. In In the beginning of the year, the HRC put us in the “lowest performing category” in its “state equality index,” because Arizona doesn’t have an “explicit state-level workplace protections for all LGBT employees,” there is inequality when it comes to the adoption process, employment benefits, not to mention a certain bill that made it to former governor Jan Brewer’s desk that claimed to be protect “religious freedom,” which would have allowed businesses deny service to LGBT people and others based on religious beliefs. Brewer ended up vetoing that last year, but mostly because major businesses threatened to cut ties with Arizona. 

In September 2013, about a year before same-sex marriage became legal in Arizona, Sedona passed an ordinance that recognized same-sex civil unions. 

Congratulations, Sedona.

This article appears in Sep 10-16, 2015.

I was born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala. I moved to Tucson about 10 years ago. Since I was old enough to enjoy reading, I developed an interest in writing, and telling stories through different...

9 replies on “Sedona OKs Ordinance That Protects LGBT People from Discrimination in the Workplace, Housing”

  1. So how about passing an ordinance so they can hire the person best qualified for the job and not just because they are gay, transgender, black, white or what ever without the person pitching a fit because they didn’t get it saying they were discriminated because they are one of the above mentioned.

  2. Because we won’t fire fighters that can’t rescue people from burning buildings. We want law enforcement officers that can’t shoot straight. We want bankers that don’t understand math.

    You can’t blame any of this on China. We are giving up.

  3. Do you think that at least one of you could make it through a comment without fumbling on grammar, punctuation, or spelling? I mean, since we’re talking qualifications and all.

  6. Trainmanswife I think you are missing the point. This ordinance doesn’t mean gay or transgender people get preferation when it comes to jobs. It means that they can’t get fired or be denied housing because of their sexuality/identity. Why should anyone be fired from a job based on their identity/sexuality? This should be enforced nationwide.

  7. It already is. You can’t discriminate against anybody for anything. Well except that lady in Kentucky that some want fired for her personal beliefs.

    Almost everybody is protected.

  8. David, a majority of the states do not have protective ordinances for sexual orientation.

    And Kim wasn’t fired for her beliefs. She was fired for refusing to do her job. It’s like working at a gun shop with the belief that guns are evil. Funny how she doesn’t have a problem with divorce and other biblical sins.

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