The Mesa City Council is scheduled to vote on adopting an ordinance that would provide anti-discrimination protection to members of the LGBT community. The vote is scheduled for the council’s March 1 meeting.
The ordinance would apply to housing, employment and public accommodations, similar to measures adopted in Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe, Tucson and Winslow. Mesa had considered implementing such an ordinance in 2015, less than a year after same-sex marriage became legal in Arizona.
City staff presented the latest proposal to the council in a study session on Feb. 18.
There is no state law identifying LGBT residents as a protected class, but in June, the U.S. Supreme Court made a landmark ruling that the 1964 Civil Rights Act applies to LGBT employees and protects them against discrimination. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion for the 6-3 ruling.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify the date of the council meeting and other details.