TEMPE, Ariz. (February 1, 2017) - Tempe-based brewery Four Peaks Brewing Co. signed the UNITY Pledge in support of fully inclusive non-discrimination policies in the workplace, housing, and public accommodations for all Arizonans, including individuals who are gay or transgender. The first Arizona brewery to sign the pledge, Four Peaks joins over 2,100 businesses and organizations including GoDaddy, Fry’s Food & Drug Stores, Yelp, Uber, Professional Firefighters of Arizona, PetSmart, and Coca-Cola in supporting a fully inclusive Arizona.
To celebrate diversity and equality for all Arizonans, Four Peaks and ONE Community welcomed the community into Four Peaks’ 8th Street Brewery to witness the pledge signing followed by speeches from Four Peaks co-founder Jim Scussel, Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell, and ONE Community president Angela Hughey. Local dignitaries, including former Tempe Mayor Neil Guiliano, Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir, Tempe City Councilman Kolby Granville, Tempe City Councilman Randy Keating, Tempe City Councilwoman Lauren Kuby, and Tempe Vice-Mayor Robin Arredondo-Savage, also attended the event to show their support as the three leaders discussed the importance of workplace equality and their commitment to ensuring all people feel welcome throughout the state. Guests enjoyed food, raffles, and happy hour specials, with a portion of the proceeds from beer purchases donated to the ONE Community Foundation.
“We are proud to be an Arizona-born company that has welcomed all communities since we first opened our doors. We believe that good beer makes for good company and we look forward to continuing to welcome and support equality for all Arizonans,” said Jim Scussel, co-founder of Four Peaks Brewing Co.
“Four Peaks, like the City of Tempe, understands that if you want to be the best there can be no barriers to attracting top talent. Running a successful business is about serving all people, not just some people. At their core, non-discrimination policies are rooted in the American values of fairness, equality and opportunity,” said Mark Mitchell, Mayor of Tempe.
While five municipalities have ordinances that ban discrimination, Arizona has no statewide laws that protect gay and transgender individuals from being fired or refused service, housing and public accommodations based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. To promote a fully inclusive Arizona, ONE Community, a member-based coalition of LGBTQ and allied individuals and businesses, created the UNITY Pledge: 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 are thrilled to welcome our first brewery into our UNITY Pledge family,” said Angela Hughey, President of ONE Community. “Four Peaks Brewing Co. not only makes some of the best beer in the nation, but they are an economic engine and job creator for Tempe and the state of Arizona. They understand that when we celebrate, respect and protect all who live in our great state, we all succeed,” concluded Hughey.