A note from Jeanne:
On today’s episode, we’re joined by Don Williams and Jose Ortega, a gay couple living in the east valley. When Don messaged us on Instagram a little over a week ago, I was already familiar with his story. As covered on AZCentral, he and his husband are facing discrimination at their daughter’s school in Queen Creek. After a short chat online, Don invited me to their home to record the conversation you’re about to hear. The couple has only been in Arizona for less than a year, and I was so moved by their hospitality. It’s been a challenge to find queer community in the short time they’ve had to settle in, and now to manage this situation, they’re building community in a way I don’t think either of them ever expected they’d have to. I was also struck by their insistence that the discrimination they’re experiencing isn’t just as simple as a conflict between religious rights and LGBTQ+ rights. At tonight’s live recording of Ask Smart People Smart Questions, we’ll be exploring where that narrative comes from and where it breaks down, so it felt timely to hear from two people at the heart of a real conflict how it feels to them. If you want to attend the panel discussion, head on over to the Tempe Public Library at 6:30 PM.
Thanks so much to Don and Jose for being our guests on the podcast this week!
