The city of Cottonwood, Arizona on
Tuesday became the sixth Arizona city to approve civil unions for gay
couples.
The Cottonwood City Council vote 6-1 in
favor of allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter a domestic
partnership, the
AP reported.
“It is something communities are
looking at to treat their citizens equally and leadership [is]
standing up and saying equality is important in our communities,”
Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens said Wednesday. “I think it's as
simple as that.”
Five cities, starting with Bisbee in
April, have approved similar measures, including Sedona, Jerome,
Clarksdale and Tucson.
Cottonwood's civil union, like all the
ordinances approved, offers limited rights to couples to ensure that
the measure does not run afoul of Arizona's voter-approved 2008
constitutional amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual union.
(Related: Lesbian
couple first to enter Bisbee, Arizona civil union.)