WATCH: How poetry brought Phoenix's queer community together
The group thems. started out as a weekend market and has since exploded by using poetry and other art to build up the community.
From anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to abuse of a gay male couple in Queen Creek, here are all the things we published. ALSO... a NEW Eyes on the State!
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A gay couple in Queen Creek decided to put up an LGBQT+ pride flag outside their home. Now, they’re getting death threats, harassed by neighbors, and targeted by conservative media.
In his bill SB1034, Kavanagh offered legislation that would strike down a current law that forbids homeowners’ associations from banning specific flags—such as the Gadsden, Arizona Indian Nations, or U.S. flag—to an extension for all flags, unless they are “obscene, defamatory or likely to incite violence.”
In response, one of Arizona’s most popular morning radio show hosts spent two full episodes railing against the couple, calling them “bad gays” and used homophobic language to deride LGBTQ+ people.
The state’s far-right “Freedom Caucus” has introduced 11 bills targeting trans kids and drag shows. Among the most prolific sponsors of those bills is Sen. John Kavanagh from Fountain Hills, who has for more than a decade tried to eliminate rights and visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.
Among the bills proposed by Kavanagh is giving religious preference to teachers and staff in schools who have a deeply held belief that trans people shouldn’t exist.
In response to the state’s push of anti-LGBTQ+ bills by Senate and House Republicans, protesters from a whole range of queer identities showed up outside the state Capitol. We were there to capture people’s voices:
Included in the protest was a trans teenager from Chandler, Arizona who said that the media—and by extension legislators and parents—weren’t listening to kids effected by the bills. Read our exclusive Q&A:
LOOKOUT is diving into safety inside of Phoenix’s LGBTQ+ community. To start off on our reporting, read our piece on how the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ bills proposed have caused fear inside the city’s community:
LOOKOUT's 'Eyes on the State' is brought to you by an exclusive partnership with Equality AZ. Check here every week to see what's being proposed by lawmakers, who are the state power brokers, and context for current and upcoming bills.
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