Carl Slater for Arizona State Representative - Council Delegate and LGBTQIA+ Champion endorsed.
Diné Equality, the largest Indigenous LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in the country is proud to endorse Carl Slater for Arizona State Representative, District 7.
As a member of the 24th Navajo Nation Council, Council Delegate Slater has a record of advancing the interests of our Sovereign Nations, protecting our women from violence, and ensuring our gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, and transgender relatives are treated equally under the law. In June 2020, under the leadership of Delegate Slater, Delegate Nathaniel Brown, and Speaker Seth Damon, the 24th Navajo Nation Council made history by passing Legislation140-20, proclaiming the last week of June as Diné Pride Week for the largest Sovereign Nation in the United States.
The LGBTQIA+ community in Arizona urges the Apache County Board of Supervisors (https://www.apachecountyaz.gov/Board-of-Supervisors) and the appointed citizen's panel to immediately appoint Delegate Carl Slater to fill the vacated seat of former representative Arlando Teller (D- Chinle).
In a press release from Diné Equality, founder and lead organizer Alray Nelson said:
“Carl exemplifies the leadership we need right now in Arizona and through his experience as a young professional and a proud Democrat, he is a fresh voice for our younger generation to stand behind. He will protect the sovereignty of the Navajo people and ensure our LGBTQIA+ family members are respected. We support Carl because of his long record of being an ally for our community. Arizona deserves bold leadership and he brings that to the state capitol.”
District 7, which Teller represented, spans the northern and eastern part of the state, comprising an area larger than Indiana from Peach Springs along the Grand Canyon to the Four Corners and Alpine. As a Council Delegate, Slater represents the communities of Lukachukai, Rock Point, Round Rock, Tsaile/Wheatfields, and Tsé Ch’izhí chapters.
When running for the Navajo Nation Council, former chairman, and president Peterson Zah and his wife, Rosalind Zah, lent their support to Slater.
“Carl is one of those people who listened carefully to his grandma’s and grandpa’s teaching. He did exactly what the elderly people say: you stay in school and study hard. The Navajo Nation is in a time in its history where it must hand over the baton to the younger generation of leaders."
Diné Equality is working alongside Tribal lawmakers around Indian Country to introduce inclusive legislation that will protect the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and two-spirit communities from hate crimes and bigotry during these uncertain times post-COVID19. It is imperative that we support the candidates who share our core values and will be true LGBTQ+ advocates.