Tempe on Thursday approved an
LGBT-inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance, making it the fourth
Arizona city to adopt such a measure.
The Tempe City Council unanimously
approved the ordinance a day after Governor Jan Brewer vetoed a bill
aimed at voiding such laws.
SB 1062 stated that a business can
refuse service based on the owner's religious beliefs. Opponents
claimed that the law would allow individuals and businesses to
discriminate against gays.
(Related: Arizona's
Jan Brewer vetoes “license to discriminate against gays” bill.)
Tempe joins Tucson, Flagstaff and
Phoenix in enacting such a measure. Tucson's law was approved in
1999, while laws in Phoenix and Flagstaff took effect last year.
“I want to express my gratitude to
the council, for being leaders in the movement for equality,”
Rebecca Wininger, president of Equality Arizona, the state's largest
LGBT rights advocate, said in a statement. “The work we are doing
to achieve equality for the LGBTQ community in Arizona is building
momentum. It is no longer a matter of if, but of when. Together, we
took another big step toward our goal today.”
Tempe's ordinance prohibits
discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on
the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color,
gender, religion, national origin, familial status, age, disability
and veteran status.