WHAT: ANGELS IN AMERICA: PART ONE, MILLENNIUM APPROACHES by Tony Kushner
WHERE: Fountain Hills Theater 11445 N Saguaro Blvd., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
WHEN: Mar. 3 – 19, 2023. Thursday through Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sunday Matinees at 2:00pm * Rated R. For Mature Audiences 18+ Strong Language, Sexual Situations and Adult Content
HOW: Reservations: (480) 837-9661 x3 or visit fhtaz.org. Individual tickets are $35.00. Discounts for groups
Fountain Hills Theater announces the opening of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America: Part One, Millennium Approaches.
Angels in America: Part One, Millenium Approaches is a metaphorical and symbolic vision of America during the mid-1980s. In the midst of the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell. In Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, set in New York City, a gay man is abandoned by his lover when he contracts the AIDS virus, and a closeted Mormon lawyer's marriage to his pill-popping wife stalls. Other characters include the infamous McCarthy-ite lawyer Roy Cohn, Ethel Rosenberg, a former drag queen who works as a nurse, and an angel. Angels in America is an epic drama that has deservedly earned awards for its portrayal of contemporary America–its mixture of brutal reality and miraculous fantasy, its tragedy and comedy, cruelties and compassion.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the play’s Broadway premiere. Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1993) Tony Awards (1993): Best Play. Angels in America: Part One, Millennium Approaches is directed by Chris R. Chávez and stars Rob Allocca, Keith Chandler, Raheem D’Angelo, Debra Lyman, Katie Marburger, Cindy Pruett, Van Rockwell and Pat Russel. Presented through Special Arrangement with Concord Theatricals. *Rated R for sexual situations, language and adult content. For Mature audiences 18+.
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches will play Mar. 3 – 19, 2023. Performances are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30PM and Sundays at 2PM. Individual tickets are $35.00. Seniors receive a $5.00 discount on all Thursday performances. Group, Active Duty and Veteran discounts are available. All performances are at Fountain Hills Theater on its Mainstage at 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd. (The Corner of Saguaro and Rand). Tickets are available through the Theater Box Office at (480) 837-9661 x3 or by visiting fhtaz.org. Box Office Hours are 10:00AM-5:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday. For additional information not contained in this press release, please call Fountain Hills Theater Artistic Director, Peter J. Hill at (480) 837-9661 EXT. 7.
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Quixotic performs during Scottsdale Arts’ The ARTrageous Gala in 2022. The performance group will return to The ARTrageous Gala: Bloom this year. Photo: Chris Loomis
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Scottsdale Arts will bring its annual ARTrageous Gala back to the newly renovated Scottsdale Civic Center on April 1 for an outdoor celebration centered on a theme of “Bloom.”
The gala, blooming with radiant living art experiences and fantastical creations, is designed to be an ultra-sensory evening that will reignite the attendees’ passions for the arts.
“With the completion of the Scottsdale Civic Center campus and its new outdoor stages, we will have one of the most spectacular backdrops for a magnificent night under the stars,” said Dr. Gerd Wuestemann, president and CEO of Scottsdale Arts. “Our outdoor campus will provide a setting unlike any other.”
Wuestemann noted that over the past four years, Scottsdale Arts has reinvented its gala to become more engaging, glamorous and forward-thinking. During the pandemic, the nonprofit arts organization shifted its traditional gala date from winter to spring, with an eye on a potential outdoor event like this year’s The ARTrageous Gala: Bloom.
The transformation began with last year’s Luminescence gala, a cirque-style experience unlike any other in the Valley, thanks to entertainment throughout the night by the performance art collective Quixotic. This year’s gala will again feature performances by Quixotic.
“Quixotic is very excited to come back to Arizona to work with the Scottsdale Arts organization and team,” said Mica Thomas, executive producer of Quixotic. “We love this partnership that supports our group in exploring new creative collaborations. We are looking forward to the next adventure.”
Festivities throughout the evening include a red-carpet arrival, living art activations, silent and live auctions, a delicious coursed meal, dessert bar and performances by Quixotic and the Valley’s own Walter Productions.
Honorees and awardees include the Lifetime Award in Service to Oskar Knoblauch, a local Holocaust survivor who has worked with Scottsdale Arts on a number of educational arts initiatives; the Corporate Trailblazer Award to SRP, a valued partner for Scottsdale Arts events like Canal Convergence; and the Herberger Award for the Arts to Dorothy Lincoln Smith, a longtime supporter of the arts and committee member for Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.
Scottsdale Arts would like to thank the following gala sponsors and partners: Billie Jo Herberger; Pride Guide Arizona; SOAR Foundation; S|T|O|R|E Capital; Harvard Investments, Inc.; Nationwide; SRP; Tito’s Handmade Vodka; Lincoln Property Company; BMO; Northern Trust; Nelson Art; Dollar Radio Rentals; Rhonda & Gary Anderson; Merle & Steve Rosskam; So Scottsdale!; Quixotic; and Walter Productions. ________________________________________________________________________________
SCOTTSDALE ARTS Through its partnership with the city of Scottsdale, the nonprofit Scottsdale Arts creates diverse, inspired arts experiences and educational opportunities that foster active, lifelong community engagement with the arts. Since its founding in 1987, Scottsdale Arts has grown into a regionally and nationally significant, multi-disciplinary arts organization offering an exceptional variety of programs through four acclaimed branches — Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (SMoCA), Scottsdale Public Art and Scottsdale Arts Learning & Innovation — serving more than 600,000 participants annually. In conjunction with the city of Scottsdale, we also host more than 200,000 people annually on our campus through a robust rentals program.
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BRING YOUR “A” GAME TO TEMPE THIS SPRING Soak up sunny skies and plenty of action-packed activities this spring in Tempe, Arizona. From Super Bowl LVII to the start of Cactus League Spring Training, Tempe is full of events and festivities for all sports enthusiasts. Super Bowl LVII touches down at State Farm Stadium this February. Experience all events surrounding the big game, including Tempe’s own FanDuel Party at Tempe Beach Park. Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park is a two-day festival for music lovers, culinary enthusiasts and passionate baseball fans. Cactus League Spring Training, featuring the Los Angeles Angels brings 15 MLB teams to 10 stadiums across the Valley to play more than 200 games through the end of March.
Arizona • February 2023
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As Mpox Public Health Emergency Declaration Ends, HRC Looks Ahead to Next Phase: Vaccinations, Prevention, and Partnerships with Community-Based Organizations
WASHINGTON — Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) – the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization – marked the end of the Mpox Public Health Emergency, lauding the incredible efforts by the LGBTQ+ community to remain healthy while noting that Mpox continues to have disproportionately severe impacts on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities and individuals living with HIV.
“Today, we enter the next phase in the continuing fight to end Mpox and maintain the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people everywhere. Make no mistake, Mpox is still with us – and much the same with other health issues, it disproportionately impacts Black and Brown LGBTQ+ community members. We will work tirelessly to make sure as many people as possible remain healthy,” said Kelley Robinson, President of the Human Rights Campaign. “We urge members of the LGBTQ+ community to speak with their doctor about their options regarding vaccination, which has been proven to be safe and effective in preventing Mpox. This emergency declaration has ended, in no small part because of action from community leaders and organizations in partnership with the Biden-Harris administration and other federal, state, and local agencies. But the work is just beginning.”
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
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With President Biden’s Signature, the Bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act Becomes Biggest Legislative Win in the Fight for LGBTQ+ Equality in Over a Decade
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — celebrated today as President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law. Arguably the biggest legislative win in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality since the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law was repealed in 2010, this legislation will guarantee the federal rights, benefits and obligations of marriages in the federal code for same-sex couples; repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); and affirm that public acts, records and proceedings should be recognized by all states. It also codifies the same rights for interracial couples.
The legislation garnered 51 House and Senate Republican votes, the most of any LGBTQ+ pro-equality legislation in history and did so in the most politically polarized Congress to ever exist. These 51 votes demonstrate beyond a doubt that support for same-sex marriage and causes of LGBTQ+ equality bridge even the deepest entrenched ideological divides in America.
“Today is a historic day and a much-needed victory for our community. It should be lost on no one that this bill signing comes less than a month after a deadly attack on our community in Colorado Springs, and at a time when the community continues to face ongoing threats of online and offline violence, as well as legislative attacks on our rights. In signing this bill, President Biden has shown that LGBTQ+ peoples’ lives and love are valid and supported,” said Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson. “As a queer, married woman, this moment holds personal significance, and I will hold my wife and our son a little tighter tonight, alongside the 568,000 other same-sex married couples. We thank our legislative heroes and President Biden who fought to ensure that marriage equality will forever remain here to stay. And we continue our fight for the safety and security of our entire community.”
HRC worked tirelessly to engage our members and supporters in favor of this legislation, mobilizing 242 major businesses with over 8.5 million employees, a grassroots army of more than 3 million members, supporters and volunteers, and the nation’s 62 million “Equality Voters” to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. HRC supporters made more than 30,000 calls, sent over 76,000 emails, and wrote more than 58,000 letters to Congressional offices in support of the RMA. To read personal stories of why marriage equality is important to LGBTQ+ couples across the country, click here, and to watch a video featuring a D.C.-based couple, click here.
More Than Two-Thirds of People Support Marriage Equality
According to Gallup, 71% of Americans support marriage for same-sex couples. 55% of Republicans support same-sex marriage, along with 83% of Democrats and 73% of Independents. According to recent polling from HRC, 64% of people living in battleground states – AZ, CA, GA, MI, NV, PA, WI, FL, NH, NC, OH, TX, CO, and ME – support marriage equality, demonstrating the issue’s popularity even in politically divided states. The latest survey from PRRI this year found that support for marriage equality has increased by 14 percentage points since 2014 (54%). Today, majorities of most religious groups favor marriage equality. White evangelical Protestants (35%) and Latter-day Saints (46%) remain the only major religious groups with less than majority support for marriage equality. According to the last Census, about 58% (568,000) of couples in the nation’s 980,000 same-sex households were married and about 42% were unmarried partners.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
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The Respect for Marriage Act – Which Passed 258-169, With All Democrats and 39 Republican Votes – Is Now One Step From Becoming Law
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — celebrated today the second, and final, bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in the House of Representatives. The bill passed 258 to 169, and garnered the votes of all Democrats and 39 Republicans, demonstrating the widespread and bipartisan support for marriage equality. The landmark legislation now heads to President Biden for his signature, after which it will be law. This legislation will guarantee the federal rights, benefits and obligations of marriages in the federal code for same-sex couples; repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); and affirm that public acts, records and proceedings should be recognized by all states. It also codifies the same rights for interracial couples.
In response to the final passage of the bill, HRC President Kelley Robinson issued the following statement:
“Today’s vote in the House of Representatives sends a clear message: love is winning. At a time when the LGBTQ+ community continues to face ongoing attacks – from deadly violence to legislative assaults on our rights – today’s vote is a clear victory for this country’s 568,000 same-sex married couples, including me. The fact that this bill passed with strong bipartisan support in both chambers proves that marriage equality is supported by a wide swath of the American people. We eagerly await the president’s signature on this important legislation — and look forward to continuing to fight for full equality for everyone in our community, without exception.”
HRC worked tirelessly to engage our members and supporters in favor of this legislation. We mobilized 242 major businesses with over 8.5 million employees, a grassroots army of more than 3 million members, supporters and volunteers, and the nation’s 62 million “Equality Voters” to call on members of Congress to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. HRC supporters made more than 30,400 calls and sent more than 58,000 letters to Congressional offices in support of the RMA. To read personal stories of why marriage equality remains important to LGBTQ+ couples across the country, click here, and to watch a video featuring a D.C.-based couple, click here.
More Than Two-Thirds of People Support Marriage Equality
According to Gallup, 71% of Americans support marriage for same-sex couples. 55% of Republicans support same-sex marriage, along with 83% of Democrats and 73% of Independents. According to recent polling from HRC, 64% of people living in battleground states – AZ, CA, GA, MI, NV, PA, WI, FL, NH, NC, OH, TX, CO, and ME – support marriage equality, demonstrating the issue’s popularity even in politically divided states. The latest survey from PRRI this year found that support for marriage equality has increased by 14 percentage points since 2014 (54%). Today, majorities of most religious groups favor marriage equality. White evangelical Protestants (35%) and Latter-day Saints (46%) remain the only major religious groups with less than majority support for marriage equality. According to the last Census, about 58% (568,000) of couples in the nation’s 980,000 same-sex households were married and about 42% were unmarried partners.
Key Provisions of the Bill
The Respect for Marriage Act would ensure that marriage equality is protected nationally through several provisions:
Repealing the 1990s era Defense of Marriage Act. Passed in 1996, DOMA discriminated in two important ways. First, Section 2 of DOMA purported to allow states to refuse to recognize valid civil marriages of same-sex couples. Second, Section 3 of the law carved all same-sex couples, regardless of their marital status, out of all federal statutes, regulations and rulings applicable to all other married people — thereby denying them over 1,100 federal benefits and protections. DOMA was rendered unenforceable, in two stages, by the Supreme Court’s 2013 Windsor v. United States ruling (which invalidated Section 3) and the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling (which invalidated Section 2).
Establishing that “place of celebration” is the standard of recognition for federal benefits of a marriage. This provision ensures that the federal government will consider a couple to be married for federal purposes if the couple’s marriage was valid in the state where it was performed.
Affirming that marriage-related public acts, records and proceedings of one state must be recognized by all states. Marriages, adoption orders, divorce decrees and other public acts must be honored by all states consistent with the Full Faith and Credit clause of the US Constitution.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
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Vote Passed 61-36, with Democrats and 12 Republicans Supporting; Bill Expected to Be Adopted in House and Signed by President Biden
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — today celebrated the bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in the U.S. Senate. The bill passed 61 to 36, garnering a strong bipartisan vote with Senate Democrats and 12 Republicans voting in favor, marking a truly historic moment for LGBTQ+ equality as the biggest federal legislative win since the 2010 repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. This legislation will guarantee the federal rights, benefits and obligations of marriages in the federal code for same-sex couples; repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); and affirm that public acts, records and proceedings should be recognized by all states. It also codifies the same rights for interracial couples. The amended bill is expected to be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed by President Biden.
In response to the bill’s passage, HRC President Kelley Robinson issued the following statement:
“Today love won. This is a historic day, marking a much-needed victory for our community. The LGBTQ+ community has faced ongoing deadly violence, legislative assaults and constant threats – including the deadly shooting in Colorado Springs barely one week ago. Today, with the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act in the Senate — a historic moment that marks the first federal legislative win for LGBTQ+ equality in over ten years, since the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell — the 568,000 same-sex married couples in this country can breathe a sigh of relief that their marriages will be protected from future attacks. The fact that this bill passed with strong bipartisan support — earning the votes of 12 Republicans — again demonstrates that marriage equality enjoys growing bipartisan backing, is supported by a wide swath of the American people and is not going anywhere. We are closing this discriminatory chapter of our history — marriage equality is here to stay. And this is just the beginning — we have more work to do to fight with and for our transgender community, , our BIPOC community, and our youngest community members with the same passion and energy that we brought to the fight for marriage equality.”
These 12 votes demonstrate that even Republican lawmakers know marriage equality is — and must remain — law of the land. It also proves that marriage equality — which the latest survey from Gallup shows seven in ten Americans (71%) support — enjoys bipartisan popular support as a fundamental right that cannot be rolled back and must be protected.
HRC worked tirelessly to engage our members and supporters in favor of this legislation. We mobilized 242 major businesses with over 8.5 million employees, a grassroots army of more than 3 million members, supporters and volunteers, and the nation’s 62 million “Equality Voters” to call on the Senate to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. HRC supporters made more than 30,400 calls and sent more than 58,000 letters to Senate offices in support of the RMA. To read personal stories of why marriage equality remains important to LGBTQ+ couples across the country, click here, and to watch a video featuring a D.C.-based couple, click here.
More Than Two-Thirds of People Support Marriage Equality
According to Gallup, 71% of Americans support marriage for same-sex couples. 55% of Republicans support same-sex marriage, along with 83% of Democrats and 73% of Independents. According to recent polling from HRC, 64% of people living in battleground states – AZ, CA, GA, MI, NV, PA, WI, FL, NH, NC, OH, TX, CO, and ME – support marriage equality, demonstrating the issue’s popularity even in politically divided states. The latest survey from PRRI this year found that support for marriage equality has increased by 14 percentage points since 2014 (54%). Today, majorities of most religious groups favor marriage equality. White evangelical Protestants (35%) and Latter-day Saints (46%) remain the only major religious groups with less than majority support for marriage equality. According to the last Census, about 58% (568,000) of couples in the nation’s 980,000 same-sex households were married and about 42% were unmarried partners.
The Respect for Marriage Act would ensure that marriage equality is protected nationally through several provisions:
Repealing the 1990s era Defense of Marriage Act. Passed in 1996, DOMA discriminated in two important ways. First, Section 2 of DOMA purported to allow states to refuse to recognize valid civil marriages of same-sex couples. Second, Section 3 of the law carved all same-sex couples, regardless of their marital status, out of all federal statutes, regulations and rulings applicable to all other married people — thereby denying them over 1,100 federal benefits and protections. DOMA was rendered unenforceable, in two stages, by the Supreme Court’s 2013 Windsor v. United States ruling (which invalidated Section 3) and the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling (which invalidated Section 2).
Establishing that “place of celebration” is the standard of recognition for federal benefits of a same-sex marriage. This provision ensures that the federal government will consider a couple to be married for federal purposes if the couple’s marriage was valid in the state where it was performed.
Affirming that marriage-related public acts, records and proceedings of one state must be recognized by all states. Marriages, adoption orders, divorce decrees and other public acts must be honored by all states consistent with the Full Faith and Credit clause of the US Constitution.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
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SPEND THE HOLIDAYS IN TEMPE, ARIZONA! Celebrate the magic of the holidays in Tempe, Arizona. Light up the night and be dazzled this holiday season with festive events and activities like the Tempe Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade, ZooLights and Las Noches de las Luminarias.
Arizona • December 2022
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“Equality Voters” delivered huge margins to pro-equality Democrats up and down the ballot, pushing back against extremism and defying pre-election predictions of a massive “red wave”
WASHINGTON – New polling released today by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization — shows that the 2022 election defied pre-election predictions of a massive “red wave” in no small measure because Equality Voters pushed back against extremism and voted to protect commonly held values and our democracy.
Across the country, election deniers and right-wing extremists lost winnable elections because they advocated views that are out-of-touch with average voters, particularly the huge number of Equality Voters who made the critical difference up and down the ballot. Equality Voters are a group of voters modeled to support LGBTQ+ equality, numbering 62 million nationwide. They represented 39 percent of the 2022 electorate—a number that reflects the growing political strength of this voting bloc—and tend to be younger and more racially diverse than the electorate as a whole.
“Republicans lost because they nominated extreme candidates, conspiracy theorists, and far-right radicals who advocated extreme positions, including attacks on an LGBTQ+ community that grows more politically powerful every election cycle,” said Joni Madison, Human Rights Campaign Interim President. “As Sen. Mitch McConnell said earlier this week, Republicans’ negativity and excessive attacks were rejected by independent and moderate Republican voters. They didn’t generate the landslide they were betting on, thanks to the historic turnout of pro-equality, pro-democracy, and pro-choice voters who showed up to the polls in record numbers to reject extremism and deliver a series of victories for pro-equality candidates, including historic victories for LGBTQ+ candidates, women, and candidates of color.”
Equality Voters delivered huge margins to Democrats at every level of the ballot.
At the U.S. House level, 81 percent of Equality Voters supported the Democratic candidate. Equality Voters delivered similar margins for Democratic U.S. Senate candidates and Democratic candidates for governor.
This number is comparable to the level of support Equality Voters gave Joe Biden two years ago (also 81 percent) and nearly matches the level of support Black voters delivered this cycle (87 percent).
Among self-identified LGBTQ+ voters, who made up a midterm record 7 percent of the 2022 electorate, fully 80 percent supported U.S. House Democrats. LGBTQ+ voters delivered similar margins for Democratic U.S. Senate candidates and Democratic candidates for governor.
Dobbs and Trump defined Republican extremism for many voters, but anti-equality issues and attacks on marginalized people also defined right-wing radicalism this year.
Among voters who voted against Republicans, a majority identify either abortion, support for Trump and election denial as the most important reason for doing so.
Attacks on people of color and LGBTQ+ people rank next on this list.
As predicted, right-wing efforts to spread propaganda about and attack transgender people failed.
In this survey, we asked voters which specific issues motivated them to vote this year. Inflation (52 percent) and abortion (29 percent) rank first and second on this list.
Less than 5 percent identify gender affirming care for transgender youth or transgender participation in sports as issues motivating them to vote, last on this list.
This confirms extensive research prior to the election that found anti-transgender attacks were only effective in riling up extreme members of the conservative base, which is why the attacks were so prominent in paid media during Republican primaries.
While the attacks were ineffective with the general electorate and in fact repelled swing voters, they still caused harm, including increasing stigma, discrimination, and violence against the transgender community.
Voters will tolerate no retreat on marriage.
With this week’s pivotal U.S. Senate votes on marriage equality underway, a convincing 61 percent of 2022 voters in this fairly conservative, midterm electorate support Congress passing a law to protect the federal right to same-sex marriage.
This majority includes 67 percent of Independent voters, 54 percent of voters over age 50, 62 percent of non-college women, and, of course, a resounding 81 percent of Equality Voters.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
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Greg Lee receives inaugural diversity award for NFL franchises LGBTQ+ allyship
Arizona Cardinals Chief Financial Officer Greg Lee accepts Compete Sports Diversity’s 2022 Person of the Year award on Oct. 26. (Photo by Jared Wickerham)
Tempe, Ariz. (Nov. 10, 2022) — As the world turns its attention to State Farm Stadium, where Super Bowl LVII will decide the next team to hoist the Lombardi Trophy on Feb. 12, 2023, one senior executive with the Arizona Cardinals just brought home a different trophy.
Greg Lee, Arizona Cardinals Chief Financial Officer, was recognized as Compete Sports Diversity’s Person of the Year for 2022. The award was presented by Compete, in partnership with Tempe Tourism Office, on Oct. 26 as part of the TEAMS Conference & Expo presented by SportsTravel magazine in Oklahoma City.
“Compete was honored to partner with the Tempe Tourism Office to recognize Greg Lee as our first-ever Person of the Year,” said Eric Carlyle, Compete CEO. “Greg’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in sports has been a game changer in both recreational and professional sports.”
Lee was selected by Compete’s executive committee, which considered “spirit, generosity and dedication to sports diversity” as the criteria for selecting the inaugural honoree. In Lee’s nearly 17 years with the NFL franchise, he has played an integral role in countless efforts that set him apart from the other candidates.
“Lee was among the first senior executive from the NFL teams to champion equity, diversity and inclusion by asking what he could do for the LGBTQ+ community,” Carlyle added. “He listened and then he took action by working closely with the community in meaningful ways. He’s set a shining example that other executives are now adding to their playbook.”
By partnering with the National Gay Flag Football Association (NGFFL), the Arizona Cardinals were instrumental in bringing Gay Bowl XXI – an LGBTQ+ flag football tournament – to Tempe, Arizona, in 2021.
That relationship continues, as representatives from the NGFFL were subsequently invited to the 2022 NFL Draft to announce Cardinals third-round pick (No. 87 overall) before a live audience in Las Vegas, as well as an estimated 10.3 million viewers worldwide. The team’s selection — Cameron Thomas, defensive end from San Diego State — was read by NGFFL player and former league commissioner Joel Horton, making him the first openly gay person to announce an NFL draft pick.
“The Tempe Tourism Office is proud to be a presenting sponsor of Compete’s inaugural Person of the Year award,” said Michael Martin, President & CEO of the Tempe Tourism Office. “Not only does this speak volumes about the inclusive and welcoming spirit of our city, it also celebrates our Gay Bowl XXI guests and enriches the narrative around the Cardinals’ local relationships and priorities as we countdown Super Bowl LVII. Everyone is welcome here, and this is just one way we’re sharing that.”
Another way in which Tempe is widely extending an invitation to all visitors year after year, is via its Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index (MEI) score, a snapshot that is based on a nationwide evaluation of municipal laws and related criteria, including non-discrimination laws and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. Since 2014, the City of Tempe has earned the perfect score of 100.