Tempe: Championing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Every city proudly displays a welcome sign for visitors and residents. Tempe elevates this tradition with its Mill Avenue sign proclaiming, "Welcome! Our city is an inclusive community."

Tempe has long been an open, inviting destination with a rich history of diverse people and cultures. We celebrate this vibrancy through events like the Arizona Dragon Boat Races and Tempe Tardeada. Arizona State University, one of America's largest universities and located in Tempe, represents over 60 nations among its students, faculty, and staff, while upholding some of the nation's most progressive inclusion policies.

This commitment to diversity is embedded in City policies. The Tempe Tourism Office actively engages visitors from across the U.S. and globe, including the LGBTQ+ community and travelers with disabilities.

Advancing its inclusive vision, Tempe has provided domestic partner benefits to City employees since 1999. In 2014, the city achieved four key milestones in non-discrimination:

• The Tempe City Council unanimously passed an anti-discrimination ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, U.S. military veteran status, race, color, national origin, age, religion, or disability. It covers housing, employment, and public accommodations like restaurants and hotels.
• Tempe voters approved (with over 68% support) a City Charter amendment banning discrimination in city positions based on race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, familial status, age, disability, political affiliation, or U.S. military veteran status (except where legally authorized). Protections extend to city employment, local businesses, contracts, housing, public spaces, and appointments to boards and commissions.
• The City of Tempe earned perfect 100 scores in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Municipal Equality Index (MEI) for 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. The MEI assesses cities on anti-discrimination laws, domestic partner benefits, and LGBTQ+ outreach. Learn more about Tempe's 2017 score on the City of Tempe website.
• Effective January 1, 2017, Tempe expanded its health plan to cover transgender employees and dependents, including medical, psychological services, and gender reassignment surgery.

The Tempe Tourism Office promotes Tempe as a welcoming destination through partnerships like Pride Guides, a dedicated LGBTQ+ webpage, hosting writers from LGBTQ+ media, and the Unity Pledge via One Community. Tempe's dedication to diversity sends a powerful message: all visitors are truly welcome here.