Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs unveiled four pride flags on June 1 around the executive tower in Phoenix to celebrate the beginning of Pride month.
With the unveiling, Hobbs sent a clear message she views Arizona as inclusive to everyone, regardless of identity, sexual orientation and gender.
Just four years ago in 2019, then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs hung two pride flags outside the Arizona Capitol. Within hours, she was forced to take them down by the GOP-majority Legislature.
In that time, several Valley and statewide organizations have worked to oppose bills and ordinances from local government they believe to be hostile to the LGBTQ+ community.
Equality Arizona
Equality Arizona, a nonprofit, is one of the groups dedicated to ensuring LGBTQ+ people in Arizona have opportunity, capacity, and confidence to make change as advocates, voters, and civic leaders.
The group, founded during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, has existed in Arizona for more than 30 years and has fought for the rights of people living with AIDS and for the decriminalization of LGBTQ+ lives and identities.
Jeanne Woodbury, its interim executive director, said Equality Arizona focuses on community organizing ranging from local school boards to city and state political circles.
With a Republican-led legislature, Woodbury said the group is often on the defensive with regards to state bills that this year focused on issues ranging from pronouns that could be used for school children to drag shows.
“In the last election, we were supportive of Lorena Austin as she was the first nonbinary legislator. In the case of bill’s proposed, House Bill 1001 was really difficult as it targeted kids to have their pronouns not to be recognized at school, where if a kid doesn’t have support at home then they won’t have them at school,” she said. “Something else was a sleight of four different banning of drags performances in various ways came up last summer after a family-friendly drag show in Texas received protest, state law makers decided it was a good idea to capitalize on that.”
Hobbs vetoed HB 1001 in May.
“Gov. Hobbs is tremendous to have as governor as she is dependable to count on. She really is willing to stick her neck out and support us as she has gone above and beyond from what we’ve seen four years ago. She took a big risk to fly a pride flag at the state spiral for the first time and she did it to support pride month and support our community.” Woodbury said.
In celebration pride month, Equality Arizona continues to host and support events across the region. They have events planned such as Queer People Fit Outdoors, Civic Advocacy jam, and panel discussions called “ask smart people.”
Woodbury said over the past few years, community support had grown and those who are against them are really just a loud minority.
“What I’ve seen in the community is that the violence and harassment and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is coming from a small group of people. I’ve just seen more and more support, and that unquestionable the vast majority of people don’t want anything to do with anti LGBTQ+ hate.” Woodbury said.
A source of Pride
Phoenix Pride was founded in 1981 as a nonprofit, primarily for charitable, educational and social purposes. Its is to promote unity, visibility, and self-esteem among gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer persons.
Since its inception, Phoenix Pride has given out more than $1 million in community grants and scholarships.
Mike Fornelli, executive director for Phoenix Pride, has served with the organization in the past as the community stage manager, the Pride Pageant director and a Phoenix Pride board director. In 2018, he became executive director.
Fornelli said Phoenix Pride hosts events, supports events and donates funds for scholarships and community grants that benefit the LGBTQ+ community in the valley.
“So were a mighty staff of four at Phoenix Pride, we do weekend events but we have a community foundation scholarship and community grant programs that are trying to advance programming and resources in the community, and we provide the funding and scholarships for students that are continuing their education to college or graduate school. We provide these resources from the events we host.” Fornelli said.
The Phoenix Pride Festival and Pride Rainbow Festival are used to raise money for there scholarship funds and awards and for community grants.
Unlike other states, Fornelli said the temperatures in Arizona for Pride Month can be challenging to many as the heat and large groups can cause heat related injures.
But they try and provided adequate locations to provide shade.
This month there will be 23 events hosted by Phoenix Pride.
They choose to kick off the month June 1 at State Capital as Phoenix Pride donated pride flags to the governor, which is the first time in the capital’s history to have done that without taking them down, Fornelli said.
“For Pride month, we tried to do this in 2019 prior to the pandemic, we had the first rainbow flag from the capital museum balcony. It only hung for an hour before the legislature found a reason to take it down. But now our flag is going to hang for the entire month.” Fornelli said,
Fornelli is pleased there have been changes in the state to make it more accepting and notes Hobbs was once a member of the Phoenix Pride organization before she started her political career.
“It’s a symbol to accept everybody. It’s s a huge symbol of hope in our community. Prior to Gov. Hobbs being elected to secretary state back in 2019, she was on staff here as the director of volunteer at Phoenix Pride. We have a long history with Hobbs and we appreciate her support even prior to her political venture. Having someone like that at the capital were fortunate compared to other states as our governor understands our community and uses her veto power to protect from decimation,” Fornelli said.
As Pride month continues through June, Fornelli said it’s a time to celebrate and spread awareness of persecutions and fear brought on by some.
“I think our city is growing and just becoming the fifth-largest city in the country comes with growth and opportunity. In the past eight to 10 years, companies business and organizations are starting to implement diversity in the workplace and to support all aspects of the community and LGBTQ+ community. This is a big thing. It’s not a ‘rainbow washing’ just to make money. It still happens but it actually companies coming out and instilling policies to really show support for their employees and the community,” Fornelli said.
The most important thing is Pride Month offers and opportunity to educate the greater public about the LGBTQ+ community and to understand that people are people and everybody should have the same rights, Fornelli said.
Frank Espinoza is a recent graduate of Northern Arizona University from the beginning of 2022. He prides himself on covering topics that give a spotlight to individuals or groups who give back to the community. He has covered local sports, community events, and important issues that impact the state. In his spare time, he loves to watch Street League Skateboarding and hang out at Cowtown Skateboards in Goodyear.
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