Phoenix Mayor to Arizona Gov.: Domestic Partner Benefits Work for Us

Responding to Arizona governor Jan Brewer's attempt to do away with same-sex partnership benefits, Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton issued a statement Monday praising domestic partner benefits in the state's capital city.

Stanton issued the following statement in a press release:

“At the City of Phoenix, we recognize diversity as a strength, and we embrace it. Here it doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight; as long as you get the job done, you’ll get the same benefits. By offering competitive benefits, we are able to attract and retain the most talented people. Offering domestic partner benefits is not just the right thing to do; it is smart management practice.”

Brewer petitioned the Supreme Court last week asking the court to overturn a ruling that provided domestic partner benefits to same-sex spouses of state employees. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said last September that under equal protections provisions, Arizona must continue to provide benefits to the partners of gay and lesbian state employees.