Queen Creek bans DEI training

Last week, the Queen Creek Town Council banned Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) education for city employees. As of October 4, no public funds can be used for DEI training or materials. The Council also voted to ban hiring practices based on affirmative action. 

The vote was unanimous; Council Member Leah Martineau was not in attendance at the meeting. 

The Town Council's vote represents the first such action in the state, and is reported to be the result of a months-long effort by Councilmember Travis Padilla to focus on "things that unite us rather than things that divide us."

That's ironic, as DEI initiatives are actually designed to promote equality by addressing systemic inequalities that prevent some groups from accessing the same opportunities and resources as others. Arguing that DEI is divisive ignores these existing inequalities.

 DEI acknowledges the fact that inequalities already exist in our society, and develops initiatives to address them and promote inclusivity. Learn more about DEI here. 

 Letting Authoritarian Christianity Off the Hook

Last week, one of our favorite speakers joined us for our weekly Friday updates: ex-vangelical author and researcher Chrissy Stroop. 

Given the ascendance of white Christian nationalism in politics both state and national, today's topic was very timely: how the way Christian nationalism is presented in the media tends to give authoritarian Christianity a pass. Chrissy argues that, even when well-intentioned, the tendency to distance nationalism from Christianity 

Chrissy built a case for intersectionality within secular activism, given the connected nature of the ways that various form of privilege — e.g. religious, white, male, cis-het — tend to inform and permeate American society and politics.

Click here to watch Chrissy's presentation. Read more of her writing at the Bugbear Dispatch 

This Week in Weird

If you watched the big debate on Tuesday, you're probably already aware that the vast majority of polls show that VP Kamala Harris came out on top. You may be surprised to learn, however, that she only won due to (checks notes) sinister, supernatural witchcraft.

Yep, it was definitely the occult — rather than hubris, malignant narcissism, and lack of preparation — that caused Harris' opponent to incoherently rant, rave, and digress... at least according to MAGA preacher Lance Wellnau, a.k.a. one of the first  influential evangelicals to refer to the former president as "God's chosen."

**Insert massive eye roll here**

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