Today, United for Mesa announced that the tremendous grassroots effort to refer the so-called Mesa nondiscrimination ordinance to the ballot filed more than the required number of signatures.

Signature gatherers collected more than 11,000 of the nearly 9,100 needed signatures in just 30 days from Mesa residents who are demanding a voice in the City Council’s unilateral decision to pass a sexual orientation, gender identity ordinance.

The ordinance contains broad and vague language that does not provide fair notice of the legal requirements.  As a result, citizens might eventually be accused of violating the ordinance, and fined up to $2,500, for activities such as the following:

• Excluding biological men from a women’s domestic violence shelter.
• Operating a women’s sports league that does not permit biological males as athletes.
• Protecting the safety and privacy of women and girls in facilities like locker rooms, bathrooms, and showers.
• Making private decisions regarding transgender issues in businesses, housing, and facilities.

The collection of so many signatures in a short time sends a message that Mesa citizens want their elected officials to be mindful of their constituency, and give them the opportunity to ensure their voices are heard.

We send a special thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who worked tirelessly to collect the needed signatures. The voices of Mesa residents wouldn’t be heard without them.

Officials will have to verify the signatures, and then the work begins to educate Mesa voters of all that is on the line in this ballot measure.