Join us on September 11 at noon as we welcome attorney and activist Julie Gunnigle and Jeanne Casteen, Secular AZ Executive Director, to discuss Arizona's upcoming elections, politics, the legislature, and more.
Join us on September 18 at noon as we welcome Kathryn Paige Harden, PhD, to discuss her new book Original Sin: On the Genetics of Vice, the Problem of Blame, and the Future of Forgiveness.
Click here to register for this virtual presentation.
In Original Sin, acclaimed psychologist Kathryn Paige Harden explores how genetics complicates traditional concepts of blame, punishment, and moral responsibility. Integrating cutting-edge DNA research with personal insights, Harden examines the tension between biological constraints and human agency through the lenses of addiction, violence, and antisocial behavior. Rather than using science to absolve wrongdoers or make guilt obsolete, she challenges readers to reckon differently with fairness. Ultimately, this revelatory inquiry urges us to move past ancient nature-versus-nurture debates to imagine a more humane, realistic vision of accountability for ourselves and society.
Kathryn Paige Harden is a professor in the department of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, where she leads the Developmental Behavior Genetics lab. Harden received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia and completed her clinical internship at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She has been honored by the American Psychological Association for her distinguished scientific contributions to the study of genetics and human individual differences.
On September 19, Secular AZ will table at Prescott Hope Fest. Join us to stand up for church:state separation.
Join us on September 25 at noon as we welcome Keira Havens of Citizens' Impeachment.
Click here to register for this virtual presentation.
Citizens’ Impeachment is a nonpartisan movement powered by everyday Americans with a unifying mission: to uphold the Constitution of the United States and impeach, convict, and remove officials who violate their oath of office.
Citizens’ Impeachment was co-founded by a former senate staffer who worked inside the legislative branch during both impeachments, and Keira Havens, a United States Air Force veteran, a former scientist, and a longtime political activist.
Join us on October 2 at noon/PT as we welcome special guest Valena Beety to discuss her new book Pink Crime: Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Queer Identity.
Join us on October 9 at noon/MST as we welcome special guest Becca Rea-Tucker to discuss her new book An Abortion Companion: An Affirming Handbook for Your Choice and Your Journey.
Join us on October 16 at noon/PT as we welcome special guest Leah Rosenstiel, PhD, to discuss her new book Politics by Formula: How Congressional Policymaking Creates Disparities.
Register for this virtual presentation here.
Roughly $1 trillion of the US federal budget is distributed annually through grants-in-aid to state and local governments rather than individuals, heavily impacting local public service quality. While these funding formulas seem impartial and based on objective needs like population or poverty, Leah Rosenstiel’s Politics by Formula reveals they are deeply distorted by political institutions. Congressional committee leaders deliberately design these formulas to favor their own constituencies. Neutral formulas shield these political choices from public scrutiny while simultaneously constraining lawmakers, ultimately driving geographic inequalities and determining whose needs are prioritized across states.
Leah Rosenstiel is assistant professor of political science at Vanderbilt University. A central interest of her work is understanding how politics affects the distribution of federal funding and the design of government assistance programs. Some of this research appears in my book, Politics by Formula: How Congressional Policymaking Creates Disparities, published by the
Let's take a break from "rage Friday" and enjoy a "science Friday" instead! Join us on October 23 as we welcome special guest Riley Black to discuss her new book Tyrant Lizard Queen.
Click here to register for this virtual talk.
Riley Black (she/they) is the author of When the Earth Was Green: Plants, Animals and Evolution's Greatest Romance, winner of the 2024 A Friend of Darwin Award, and The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, winner of the 2023 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books.
Join us on October 30 at noon/PT as we welcome special guest Dr. Kevin Morris to discuss his latest book, An American Problem: How the County Built - and the Supreme Court Broke - the Voting Rights Act.
Register for this virtual presentation here.
Kevin T. Morris is senior research fellow and voting policy scholar at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.
The rise and fall of the Voting Rights Act, from the triumph of its passage in 1965 to its evisceration by the Supreme Court in their 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder
Join us on November 6 at 12p/MST as we welcome Sarah Stankorb to discuss her new book Damned If She Does: Why Women Quit Church and What It Means for the Future of Religion in America.
Click here to register for this virtual presentation.
Sarah Stankorb is the author of the national best-seller Disobedient Women (Worthy Books/Hachette). The award-winning, Ohio-based writer is a fan of heart-felt truth telling. Her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, O Magazine, Marie Claire, Vogue, Longreads, Glamour, Catapult, Slate, The Guardian, The Atlantic, Newsweek, CNNMoney, GOOD Magazine, Salon, KIWI, Babble, The Morning News, DAME Magazine, Cincinnati Magazine, and formerly as a regular contributor to GEN. She writes about religion, politics, feminism, health, technology, and the public good. Learn more here: https://sarahstankorb.com/new-about
Join us on November 13 at noon/MST as we welcome special guest Dr. Anna Kirkland to discuss her new book Health Care Civil Rights: How Discrimination Law Fails Patients.
Click here to register for this virtual talk.
Focusing on the provision of gender-affirming care, Health Care Civil Rights analyzes the difficulties and potential of discrimination law in healthcare settings. The application of civil rights law could be a powerful response to health inequalities in the US, but conservative challenges and the complex and fragmented nature of our health care system have limited the real-world success of this strategy. Revealing deep divides and competing interests that reverberate through patient experiences, insurance claims, and courtroom arguments, Anna Kirkland explains what health care civil rights are, how they work in theory and practice, and how to strengthen them.
Anna Kirkland is the Kim Lane Scheppele Collegiate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Michigan. She is author of Vaccine Court: The Law and Politics of Injury and Fat Rights: Dilemmas of Difference and Personhood.
Join the congregation at UUCT for a conversation with Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association, about the future of humanism! Free to attend.
When: November 22 at 10:30 am
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson
4831 E. 22nd St, Tucson AZ 85711
