A quick glance at the headlines any given morning probably gives all of us a similar feeling: powerlessness.
Just this week, gas prices have skyrocketed (again), the GOP held a midterm convention where they threw thirsttrap photos of Hasan Piker on the Jumbotron, Heather Cox Richardson unlocked a new level of fascist hell in her most recent Substack, and an Anthropic researcher quit, warning that “[t]he people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.”
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.
Hey there, Secular FAM! Have I mentioned lately how much I love public libraries? OUR public libraries? Since becoming a grandmother, I am once again a regular at OUR local libraries. No matter where you live in the Valley, a local PUBLIC library exists somewhere nearby.
I’m nostalgic for kindness, decency, and empathy. I’m a child of the 70s, and Fred Rogers and Kermit the Frog set the tone of my childhood. I remember when Mr. Hooper died, and the cast of Sesame Street turned it into a lesson about death and grieving. I remember when Mr. Rogers shared his pool with the Black police officer, Officer Clemmons.
Now these two examples of just being a decent fucking human being would be considered “woke” by many.
And what a Pride month I’ve had so far! I started off in Mohave County for their annual Pride event, and took a much needed road trip in solitude. My friend created an incredible playlist for me, and I wondered at the majesty of the Redwood Forest and the Oregon Coast.
Hey there, Secular FAM and happy summer! It’s graduation season, and Pride month is right around the corner. Kids are out of school, and if you’re anything like me, you try to hit the road once the Phoenix metro area hits triple digits and hightail it outta Dodge.
That’s just what I did, and this past weekend, I spent Saturday in Kingman Arizona for their weekend Pride event. Apparently, this is their SIXTH annual Pride event, and there were dozens of vendors and organizations tabling at the event. There was a DJ, a stage, multiple performers, and crafts for all ages.
Last week, I shared an update about the goings-on of Peoria Unified School District (PUSD). A special meeting was requested by members of the governing board asking for the board to consider voting for new leadership. Continue reading →
Join us Friday, June 19 at noon/PST as we welcome journalists Hope Pisoni and John Washington to discuss license plate hate in Arizona.
Since 2012, the AZDOT has sold “In God We Trust” license plates; money from every purchase goes to fund an Arizona-based anti-LGBTQIA+ hate group. These two reporters took a deep dive into political license plates in AZ and around the country. Read their reporting here.
Hope Pisoni is an investigative reporter at Uncloseted Media and a proud trans woman. She has investigated anti-trans pseudoscience, hate groups, incarceration and more at Uncloseted, and has written about student activism, housing and video games for Washington Square News, City Limits and The A.V. Club, respectively. Her work has been picked up by local outlets in seven states as well as by long-running publications like GAY TIMES and The Washington Blade. Read Hope’s work here.
John Washington is a staff writer at Lookout, where he covers the border and immigration as well as the statehouse. He is also an award-winning translator and author. His latest book, How to Close a Camp: Dispatches from the Fight Against Immigrant Detention, will be published by Haymarket Books in July 2026. He writes a newsletter, Lit & Border News.
Well, well, well, Secular FAM! I’m not usually one to celebrate on Cinco de Mayo since it’s a very manufactured excuse for (mostly white) people to drink tequila, but this Tuesday, May 5th, 2026, I may just need to celebrate with a giant margarita! Why, you ask?
There is a special meeting happening in Peoria (PUSD) tonight that will decide if PUSD governing board President Heather Rooks will lose her leadership role that she just secured a few short months ago.
