Who cares if students have the right to privacy in schools? (You should)

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

Here’s how members of the public spoke up against a proposed policy at Peoria Unified School District banning trans students from using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. And guess what? Members listened. The proposal was shot down 3-2.
Backlash is expected from the religious right at the next meeting on May 11th at 6PM. If you’re in the district, members will need to hear from you: 6330 West Thunderbird Road, Glendale, Arizona. Speak or just show up early and fill seats.

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

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

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