Phoenix and Tempe

In the last 2 days, Saturday and Sunday, I walked 9.62 miles.  On the mapped route to Washington D.C., that takes us to Baseline Rd. at the corner of S. Kyrene Rd.  Here's a Google Maps view of where we are in Phoenix CLICK HERE. 

I passed by Tempe, so here's a list of things to do in Tempe

***************************

Apparently, Tempe has mixed reactions toward transgender folks.  Some people are very negative and discriminatory toward transgender people.  Here's a story by ABC 15:

Briana Sandy, 55, said that she wanted to watch the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Tempe Tavern near Apache Boulevard and McClintock Drive.  

As she tried to order a drink, a female bartender told Sandy, “We don’t serve your kind here,” Sandy said.

A man then asked Sandy to leave.

"I walked out and I went, ‘I just actually experienced genuine discrimination on a level no human should experience,’” Sandy said.

Sandy said that she had not been drinking before going into the bar and wanted to order a Coke.

But, in a follow-up AZ Central story, the bar owner issued an apology to her.  (This followed an internet firestorm.)  But, still, you have to give him credit for the reversal of his employees' actions.

A Tempe bar issued a public apology on Monday to a transgender woman whose claims of discrimination by workers ignited an online firestorm.  In an afternoon press conference at Tempe Tavern, bar manager Rob Tasso said Briana Sandy, 55, should not have been asked to leave on Saturday. He called the incident a misunderstanding.  "I would love to apologize if you felt you were slighted in any way," Tasso said. "We welcome all kinds of people in this business. We have many gay customers, we have transgender performers. In no way did we ever mean to discriminate against you."

In the religious communities in Tempe, there are also varied reactions to trans people. There was a story in Outward about one transgender women in Tempe who was told she was not "woman enough" to pray in the women's section of a local mosque.

But, a few years ago, three Tempe churches got together to came together to hold a special service Sunday to support the Valley's lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual community.

Officially, the City of Tempe has a non-discrimination policy toward transgender people. 

The City of Tempe is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.  Each individual has the right to work in a workplace environment that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, including sexual harassment or any other form of harassment proscribed by law.

The Diversity policy (Policies and Procedures: Section 410) at the City of Tempe prohibits discrimination of an individual on the basis of  race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, familial status, age, or disability.  Transgendered individuals are included in the gender identity protected group.

The City of Phoenix approved a trans-inclusive non-discrimination law in 2013.  But, there are still those who aren't happy about it, such as state Rep. John Kavanagh (R) who introduced a bill to make it illegal for trans persons (trans women, in particular I would think) to use the "wrong" bathroom.  There was plenty of support in the state legislature in 2013 for banning trans people from using bathrooms that matched their gender identity.  By June of 2013, the "bathroom bill" had been "flushed" pretty much.

But, many Arizona lawmakers and state officials aren't done with the fight over bathrooms and transgender people.  "Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has filed suit against the federal government over President Barack Obama's directive asking public schools to allow students to use bathrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity."  (AZ Central)