Equality Arizona denounces the January 6th, 2021 insurgent attack on the U.S. Capitol. Donald Trump’s conduct on that day was an act of sedition against our Republic and the culmination of his years of white supremacist attacks on our democratic institutions and the most vulnerable among us.
For the past four years, LGBTQ+ Americans, particularly people of color and trans and non-binary people, have been under siege by the policies of the Trump administration and subject to increased violence, discrimination, and harassment in our daily lives.
As many of us warned, Trump’s policies, rhetoric, and demagoguery, enabled by his supporters in Washington, have created a threat to all Americans and to our nation. President Trump, Senators Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and the full cadre of elected officials who sought to overturn the election must be held accountable for their role in Wednesday’s insurrection.
We call on Congress to impeach, convict, and remove Donald Trump immediately, and to disqualify him from further office. He is a clear and present danger to the United States of America. If he is not held responsible now for his acts of sedition, he will continue to plague the political apparatus of our nation for years to come.
We call on Congress to censure and expel those in its own chambers who enabled the insurrection, chief among them Senators Cruz and Hawley, and Representative McCarthy. A precedent must be affirmed that acts of sedition are incompatible with elected office.
And we call on Congress to investigate the failure of law enforcement to protect the U.S. Capitol and members of Congress during the insurrection. Now is the time to bring to light the infection of white supremacy in our law enforcement agencies.
Today, we need you to amplify this message by contacting your Senators and your member of Congress.
In Arizona, today marks the beginning of our legislative session. Governor Doug Ducey, in his State of the State address this afternoon, declared 2020 “the year of the virus” and 2021 “the year of the vaccine,” a cold contrast underlined by his persistent refusal to consider the common sense lockdown and relief measures we needed last year to save lives from the virus and still need today to prevent further tragedies while we await the vaccine. He and the Republican majority in the state legislature have abdicated all responsibility in the face of the multiple crises troubling our state, but action cannot wait.
Call on Ducey and your legislators today to
Take immediate steps to contain the COVID-19 pandemic
Close bars and restrict restaurants to take-out only
Impose a statewide mask mandate and limits on public gatherings
Release those in detention centers, especially pre-trial, and provide adequate healthcare to detainees
Ensure access to healthcare facilities and medical providers for all Arizonans
Provide economic relief and make appropriate use of federal CARES Funding
Pass 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave
Extend the eviction moratorium, provide enforcement mechanisms for preventing evictions, and forgive all past due rent including enforcement mechanisms
Expand rental assistance and add $35 million to the Housing Trust Fund
Address the need for rent and utility debt forgiveness for families and small business owners
Offer direct assistance to ordinary Arizonans and to struggling small businesses
Increase weekly unemployment benefits to $500 /week and improve the process for accessing and retaining benefits
Address open treason from state lawmakers and elected officials
Expel state legislators who have advocated for overturning the 2020 election or who supported the armed insurrection at the US Capitol