Guest Editorial: Standing Tall For Civil Rights

My commitment to protect the civil rights of our citizens has never been stronger.

I am shifting my efforts to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community from the local level to the state level after our City Council failed to pass a non-discrimination ordinance for Scottsdale two years ago.

Last year, however, the mayor and five of my fellow councilmembers joined me in voting to support a resolution and send a letter to the State Legislature to encourage addressing statewide non-discrimination protections for members of the LGBTQ community. Only one member of the council opposed it.

I am grateful that this legislative session State Senator Kate Brophy McGee introduced SB 1249 as the prime sponsor, with Senators Bowie, Carter, Navarette and Hernandez as a co-sponsors for a bill to strengthen state law that safeguards against discrimination of the LGBTQ community in the areas of housing, public accommodations and the workplace.

The proposed update to the law is not just the right moral and ethical thing to do for Arizona it sends a message that will particularly benefit Scottsdale – especially our marketing campaigns that target tourists who are so essential to our economy. It will also help attract top employers whose corporate priorities include strong non-discrimination and inclusivity policies. The same civil rights principles apply to building a strong workforce of the best and brightest employees.

I believe the non-discrimination legislation deserves your support. I urge you to contact your state legislators and ask them to do the right thing for the state and our city and support SB 1249.

Sincerely,

Virginia L. Korte