I have been a homeowner in Queen Creek since 2016, and prior to 2016 I owned homes in San Tan Valley from 2005 to 2016. I have lived in the area for 18 years. I am also a married gay man of 10 years next month (had to wait until it was legal) but I have been with my husband for more than 26 years.
As a gay couple living in the Queen Creek area, we have yet to see any form of communication that makes us feel like a welcomed member of the community.
Every year, the month of June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month and every year Queen Creek does or says nothing to honor those who identify as LGBTQ+. At a very rudimentary level there are at least two sexual orientation identities, heterosexual and homosexual (there are several more than two but for sake of argument I will use two). The surrounding cities Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler and Tempe all have some sort of Pride Month recognition to validate their LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTQ+ individuals in those cities can feel comfortable knowing that they are welcome and respected where they live, play, shop, etc.
I suspect the town council is very proud of the work they are doing to make Queen Creek a nice community for families to raise their children and to call home. You should be proud because you are doing a fantastic job in that regard. I also suspect the main reason a lot of the work the town can do to make these improvements comes from property taxes and sales tax collected from the sale of goods from our retailers in our community.
As a gay couple, our household income exceeds $115,000 annually. We are both college-educated and I have an advanced degree and work as a college professor and program manager for a scholarship program for the Maricopa County Community College District. We are fortunate to have a bountiful income where we spend quite a bit of that income within Queen Creek. With the population growing by more than double since 2013, we have seen a vast improvement in the services and other resources for the community.
Frankly, as a gay man I can only see how that growth and development goes to serve the heterosexual population. I make that statement because as a gay man I see NO indication in the form of signs/banners or logos that shows support for the LGBTQ+ community. My husband and I have contributed to that growth by paying our taxes and we receive no recognition that we exist in our community. Can you imagine for one minute what it might feel like if the roles were reversed, and you did not see any indication that the town in which you reside shows no support for your existence?
It would not take very much effort or money to express your gratitude for the LGBTQ+ community. Something as simple as a banner displayed across Ellsworth Road in the heart of the town that reads. "June is Gay Pride Month and Queen Creek supports our LGBTQ+ friends and families within our town." After all, the town of Gilbert lights up their water tower in the rainbow colors to show support of their LBGTQ+ residents.
Diversity, equity and inclusion has gained a lot of attention lately, as it should. It's not a new concept but it's a concept that has been ignored for many years until recent years when marginalized populations are forcing mainstream populations to recognize their existence. When I spoke with (a town staff member), I touched on the idea of DEI. She immediately let me know that she and her staff are aware of DEI and its meaning. What I found interesting is that she and the department may know the acronym and the meaning of each letter, but I question if they really understand what each letter truly represents? I expressed to (the staffer) that the "I" in DEI is lacking with Queen Creek because if there was any representation of inclusion there would be some evident and visible representation that LGBTQ+ individuals are supported and welcome in QC.
There is work that needs to be done, council members. The work is not just to include LGBTQ+ individuals. There are other populations that are not fairly represented within QC. Your argument may be that nearly 85% of the population is white with nearly two-thirds of the population being married. That is why the focus is on those groups, simply because of the sheer numbers they represent. May I suggest that those groups are the main population and have held social hierarchical privilege their entire life so they will be OK if the spotlight is taken away from them in order to focus on other populations. Once this work is started then you may be able to claim that you are supporting and representing the "I" in DEI. And, to wrap it up, that work is not a one and done. It must continue indefinitely.
With much respect,
“QC Keoki”*
Queen Creek
*Editor’s note: This is a pen name requested by the writer
