(Phoenix, AZ) – This month, the Arizona State Fair signed the UNITY Pledge in support of fully inclusive non-discrimination policies in the workplace, housing, and public accommodations for all Arizonans, including gay and transgender people. They join over 2,000 businesses and organizations including GoDaddy, Fry’s Food Stores, Yelp, Uber, Professional Firefighters of Arizona, PetSmart, and Coca-Cola in supporting a fully inclusive Arizona.
In addition to signing the UNITY Pledge, the State Fair and ONE Community Foundation have partnered for a first in the nation promotion to show support for the LGBTQ community. Each Wednesday of the State Fair – October 12th, October 19th, and October 26th – the first 1000 people to sign the UNITY Pledge or present proof of signing will be granted free admission and a limited edition #OpenAZ t-shirt courtesy of PetSmart. After the first 1000, all other UNITY Pledge signers will be granted admission for $1. The pledge can be signed at www.OpenAZ.co and a receipt will be provided. The promotion begins on October 1st. The ONE Community Foundation will be present at the State Fair’s north entrance to collect UNITY Pledge signatures and process admissions.
“Our motto at the State Fair is “share something amazing” and we can’t think of anything better to share than our commitment to inclusion for all Arizonans,” said Wanell Costello, Executive Director, Arizona Exposition & State Fair. “The State Fair is a place where Arizonans can come together and enjoy time with their family, friends, and neighbors, and we welcome everybody to play or work here,” concluded Costello.
Currently, five municipalities have ordinances that ban discrimination; however, Arizona has no statewide laws that protect gay and transgender individuals from being fired based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, or discriminated against in housing and public accommodations.
Created by ONE Community, a member based coalition of LGBTQ and allied individuals and businesses; the UNITY Pledge is a public declaration to support and advance workplace equality and non-discrimination policies in housing and public accommodations for LGBTQ individuals and their allies in Arizona.
“We thank the Arizona State Fair for their leadership and for standing up for equality in a big way,” said Angela Hughey, President of ONE Community. “We thank the State Fair for providing an inclusive place that all Arizonans can enjoy without fear of being discriminated against or refused service,” concluded Hughey.