Marching for equality
On Sunday, the streets of downtown Phoenix hosted one of more than 100 events nationwide in conjunction with the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington, D.C. The stated goal of the events was to mobilize LGBT communities “in the fight to affirm and protect our rights, our safety and our full humanity.” Officials and community activists at the Phoenix event decried what they called efforts by the Trump administration to discriminate against LGBT individuals.
A Phoenix rally organized to fight federal efforts “to persecute and to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals” drew hundreds Sunday, with officials and activists ultimately urging equality and respect for all marginalized communities.
The Phoenix effort was one of more than 100 planned throughout the country in solidarity with the national Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington, D.C.
The marches were held on the eve of the first anniversary of the mass shooting at Pulse, a gay club in Orlando. The massacre left 49 dead and dozens injured.
Phoenix Pride, which hosted the local rally, typically shies away from making political statements as a non-profit organization, according to spokesman Jeremy Helfgot. But “where there are issues of injustice or issues of concern within the (LGBT) community, Phoenix Pride will act in whatever manner is appropriate,” he said.
“The theme is unity, and the overarching message is we are our strongest when we stand together as a community,” Helfgot added. “That means community as a whole, whether it’s LGBT or straight allies, regardless of religion or place of origin or legal status, and that’s true regardless of the political climate.”
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Arizona U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego cautioned against allowing officials to destroy hard-won gains in the LGBT community.
In the days leading up to the rally, community leaders had called attention to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that weakened protections for LGBT employees of government contractors. They’d pointed to the decision not to include questions about sexual orientation and gender identity proposed for the 2020 U.S. census, saying it effectively “erased” the community. And they’d highlighted how the Trump White House broke away from a tradition set by the previous administration when it chose not to recognize June 2017 as Pride Month.
“There is nothing more patriotic than dissenting — dissenting from hate, dissenting from bigotry, dissenting from a government that’s trying to erode our civil liberties and your civil liberties every day,” Gallego said.
“We are calling on this country to be at its best, not at its worst,” he added. “We are calling for every American to believe in each other, not to hate each other.”
Stanton said that “when it comes to civil rights — not just for our LGBT, but for all people in the United States of America — we will not go backwards.
“We will only go forwards,” Stanton added. “When you fight for civil rights, everyone benefits.”
Reginald Walton, chairman of Black Lives Matter-PHX, said aspects of the LGBT community’s fight mirrored the black community’s struggle.
“What brings us to the Phoenix Pride event is equality and unity,” said Walton, pastor at Phillips Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Phoenix. “We are standing against tyranny and the stripping-away of rights.”
A moment of silence was held for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting. Republic reporter BrieAnna J Frank contributed to this article.