In 1965, a group of high school students were suspended for wearing black armbands to school in protest of the Vietnam War. This sparked the landmark decision Tinker v. Des Moines, in which the Supreme Court declared that students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate. Tinker was focused on free speech, but what about privacy rights for students? Continue reading
Fearmongering in Camp Verde
By Adriana Clark
It all started with a Pride display in June. Every month, the staff at the Camp Verde Community Library puts together a display of library books and media highlighting a particular theme. The display gathers materials from all areas of the library, including adult fiction and nonfiction, teen fiction and nonfiction, and audio-visual materials. The June theme was “Read with Pride” and featured books by and about the LGBTQ community. Continue reading
WATCH: Members of the public speak out against discriminatory bathroom policy at school board meeting
WATCH: Who’s grooming who?
Tired of the religious right accusing anyone they don’t like of being a grooming pedophile? Here’s some amazing research you can throw back in their faces. Continue reading
In Memoriam: Dr. Harold “Hal” Saferstein
From the Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix:
“It is with great sadness that the family of Dr. Harold (“Hal”) Saferstein announces his passing on January 19, 2023. Continue reading
Experts: pulling people out of extreme belief hinges on relationship building
During our Annual Secular Summit, we hosted a panel called Leaving Cults and Conspiratorial Thinking Behind. We gathered three experts with deep backgrounds in the subject, including two which fled extreme beliefs themselves. They discussed what motivates people to become victims of high control groups—including Q-Anon, evangelicalism, MAGA, and ultra-fundamentalist sects—and how we can pull people out. Continue reading
Notable school board election results
While not winning every race, supporters of separation of church and state had a great showing at school boards. This is especially encouraging in districts like Paradise Valley, where extremists spent enormous sums only to lose two out of three available seats. Continue reading
What election results so far mean for Arizona’s secular movement
Counting ballots continues for the 2022 midterm elections—part of the state’s usual process as county recorders tabulate early ballots dropped off on election night.
No winners have been called in most major races yet, and many are too close to call—including legislative races where it is still uncertain whether Democrats will flip key seats.
But regardless the outcome, voters have already sent a clear message: Christian nationalism far from represents an overwhelming majority of the state’s people. Continue reading
ACTION ALERT: Dispel myths about LGBTQ+ at Oct. 25th Phoenix School Board Meeting
Our friends at one.n.ten and GLSEN have alerted us to a school board issue in Central Phoenix which could use your support tomorrow, 10/25/22. Continue reading
Top four things to bring up when talking about school vouchers
We’ve been talking a lot with our neighbors lately about the issue of school vouchers. If there’s one thing we’ve learned after hundreds of these conversations, it’s this:
Not nearly enough people understand vouchers. Continue reading
AZ’s primary: what the results mean for separation of church and state
The votes are in. This primary, Republicans shifted harder toward the religious right, but Democrats pushed out some legislators who were soft on Christian nationalism. The balance of power in the Legislature may be decided by five races. And conspiracy theorists are vying for control of major statewide offices.
Here are the top results secular supporters need to know: Continue reading
New Year Remarks from Secular AZ’s Executive Director
As the year comes to an end, I have found myself feeling a mix of despair and optimism. A new year brings new beginnings, but also uncertainty. I remember last New Year’s Eve thinking “thank goodness 2020 is over!” and then, less than a week later watched as Christian nationalists violently staged an insurrection at our country’s Capitol. Continue reading