By Alexander Lomax
Arizona is changing, and I would describe it as jumping into the 21st century, even if it is about 2 decades late. The arc and trajectory of that change can be found in some unexpected places. I think that the most notable signal of this fact comes in the form of non-discrimination ordinances.
Recently, the Mesa City Council, led by Mayor John Giles, passed a non-discrimination ordinance covering
employment, housing, and public spaces. It was only about 10 years ago that the nexus of power in Arizona was in Mesa and AZ Senate President Russell Pearce, and that that was most distinctly defined as a strong disdain for anyone who might have been born elsewhere. Fast forward a decade, and combined with an LDS church that has chosen to reject its more divisive spirits, Mesa has taken some notable strides forward.
In the wake of that move, the local eyes are now on Scottsdale. Mayor Dave Ortega had talked about this during his campaign as something that was on his radar, and a point of differentiation between himself and Lisa Borowsky. As a Hispanic man who defined himself in lily-white Scottsdale, he no doubt has felt discrimination both hidden and overt. This past election, voters rejected the most extremist impulses of the electorate (read: Guy Phillips) and elected 3 council members defined by a more modern, business-friendly approach. None of these council members were elected by embracing subjugation of those who look different, or do different things in the privacy of their homes. It feels like a page in our history has been turned.
Some of you may think this unnecessary, or may think it as a hindrance to our prosperity. I will counter that the exact opposite is true: these actions are good for business, not bad.
Investment funds guided by good ESG (environmental, social, and governance) principles outperformed their traditional equity peers last year. Numerous studies have found that diverse corporate boardrooms lead to higher profits. And for a city as dependent on tourism as Scottsdale, I would argue that the perception of being a welcoming city is crucial.
I am a ripe young 40 years old, and I can tell you that the vast majority of people my age don’t appreciate politics centered around demonizing the “them” of folks who don’t fit into the straight, white, old male bucket of humanity. Gen Z behind me? They appreciate it even less. Russell Pearce’s style of politics may still appeal to old white snowbirds in various parts of the United States, but that pool is shrinking and not being replenished. To keep both national and international tourism robust and sustainable, we can’t be known as an area that fosters bigotry and hatred.
The Mayor and the new Council will undoubtedly have some tough decisions. But a non-discrimination ordinance is a softball, and those who fight against it will be known as being on the wrong side of history from the folks needed to power Scottsdale throughout the 21st century.