Flagstaff community members gathered at Flagstaff Athletic Club on Wednesday, Oct. 1 for the third and final public forum regarding the ordinance proposing the protection of sexual orientation and gender identity in areas of employment, housing and public accommodation.

City representatives came before the public to answer questions specific to the ordinance. Sarah Friedmann, team leader of Equality Arizona in Flagstaff, represented support for the LGBT community and the LGBT non-discrimination ordinance. Friedmann said it is important for people to understand the proposal as a draft. 

Friedmann said people have been analyzing the wording of the ordinance line-by-line. They do not take into account that the wording is subject to change later in the process.

Jim Campbell, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian advocacy organization, was present to refer to legal aspects of the ordinance. He said he feels it jeopardizes First Amendment rights for religious business owners and proposes the ordinance would be a liability for Flagstaff business owners and organizations.

Campbell said the wording is broad in areas of gender expression and discriminatory intentions. Proving or disproving a person’s gender identity is a difficult process in a lawsuit. He said the proposed ordinance is worded much differently from the Tucson ordinance. 

Presbyterian clergyman Jed Schenck spoke for the progressive view of Christian faith and scripture. He was part of the panel and showed support of the proposed ordinance. 

“God is a loving God,” Schenck said. “He looks at each and every one of us as the people that we are.” 

Like the last two Diversity Awareness Commission public forums discussing the ordinance, Flagstaff business owners, NAU students and other members of the community voiced their viewpoints in reference to the ordinance. 

Michael Morse, a sophomore social work major, said he feels the ordinance is redundant in certain areas, but it does address issues that are important to the LGBT community. He voiced his support for the ordinance. 

“We must be willing to compromise when our beliefs come into conflict,” Morse said. “If we do not allow others to live as they wish, we invite strife and malcontent into our hearts.” 

Certain Flagstaff residents expressed desire to see the issue placed on the ballot. Carlton Hill, a 40-year resident of Flagstaff, said it is an emotional and divisive matter that should be taken before the voters. He said because it affects everyone, it should be placed on the ballot for the public to decide.

Jim Dorman, senior pastor for Christ’s Church of Flagstaff, said the church’s standards may differ from the community’s, but they have never tried to impose those standards. Churches are defined as “bonafide discriminators,” Dorman said. The classification allows them to discriminate without consequences because they are an organization excluded from federal funding. He said the ordinance would cause potential liabilities, such as problems with renting out public places that are federally funded.

The results of the public input from each forum will go to the Diversity Awareness Commission. They will write a report based on the results and present it to the city council. The city council will run the report through the legal department of the city. The city’s legal staff has not yet reviewed the proposal. They may choose to reword, redefine or completely rewrite the ordinance.