Choose Your Fighter, Arizona

Well, Secular Fam, we are one week out from this 2024 Election Day, and I can not WAIT to see you next Tuesday at the polls with your charisma, uniqueness, nerve, AND talent. 

All of our hard work is (hopefully) about to pay off, and there’s a really good chance we won’t have definitive answers until several days after Election Day. If you don’t have a plan to keep your sanity in the subsequent days after November 5th, you should probably develop one. 

My political focus is solidly on school board, countywide, and legislative races, but there is no escaping the national circus of the 2024 Presidential Election. I’ve been lucky this month to have two political tourists as guests in my townhouse in the ‘Slope. They both came from progressive states to lend a helping hand in Arizona, and hearing them talk about their own states’ political systems and processes had me feeling a certain type of way. 

Like, their signature-gathering isn’t complicated. Their state legislatures and assemblies have not actively worked to destroy democracy or make it difficult to put ballot initiatives in front of voters. It’s wild! It’s almost like, when extremists aren’t running things, democracy and voter input become priorities. 

AZ Trans Youth & Parent Organization

Please join us this Friday, November 1, at noon when we're joined by Tami Staas of the Arizona Trans Youth and Parent Organization. 

Since 2016, AZTYPO has provided a safe place for families with gender-diverse children. This grassroots group offers a supportive environment where youth and their families can explore issues of gender identity, discuss challenging issues, raise questions, seek and share resources, and listen to the experiences of others.

It's a resource that's crucial in Arizona, where anti-trans legislation, lies, and cruel rhetoric is spewed out by candidates and elected officials on a regular basis.  Studies show that attempts to discriminate against this already-marginalized population causes great harm. 

Please join us Friday at noon to learn more.

Can Churches Endorse Candidates?

Secular AZ's legal team stays busy responding to reports of church:state separation violations. 

What's the most common complaint we receive? Reports of electioneering, like endorsing a candidate from the pulpit, displaying signage on church property, or hosting campaign events for candidates. In 2024 alone, we've already responded more than 80 complaints!

We recommend reporting illegal church electioneering to the IRS; we offer a step-by-step guide on our website to help make it easy.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• The IRS restricts political and legislative/lobbying activities by tax-exempt 501(c)3 organizations, which includes many churches
• Churches and other 501(c)3 organizations cannot endorse candidates, but can endorse opinions or ideas, such as ballot propositions (like Prop 139! Vote Yes!)
• When reporting electioneering to the IRS, include pictures or video of the electioneering activity

Help Us Take a Stand

Halloween is just around the corner — but the real scary stuff is religious extremists' efforts to endanger our freedoms and rights, like:

• Book bans to censor and silence critical perspectives.
• Attacks on the transgender community that threaten their very existence.
• Extreme abortion bans that undermine bodily autonomy.

These are the terrifying realities born from white Christian nationalism. This isn’t just a passing fright—it’s a grave threat to a diverse and inclusive Arizona. At Secular Arizona, we’re taking a stand to combat the horrors of this rising movement and protect the separation of church and state.

Your donation supports our work to push back against white Christian nationalism and defend human rights for all.

Will you join us in this critical fight by making a donation today?