Many cities around the state have passed non-discrimination ordinances to protect their LGBTQ communities in recent years, including Scottsdale, Glendale and Mesa.
But in Chandler, an effort to get the City Council to pass an ordinance extending protections in housing, employment and public places to gay and lesbian people stalled last month.
The Arizona Republic reports leaders there even opted not to pass a so-called “unity resolution” that would have affirmed equal support for the LGBTQ community there.
It’s disappointing to residents who have worked for equality there.
The Show heard from two perspectives on the matter.
Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke says he wants to study the issue further before making a decision. And Eduarda Schroder is one of the people driving the effort in Chandler to pass a non-discrimination ordinance. She and her child, Jude, who is non-binary and transgender, formed Chandler Pride and have spent much of the last year working on an ordinance.
The Show spoke with Hartke first before hearing from Schroder about why this matters to her.