In a first for Arizona, Governor Katie Hobbs hosted a group of LGBTQ+ youth on the 9th floor last week, showing support for the community after signaling publicly the week before that anti-LGBTQ+ bills would be guaranteed a veto.
Despite this, there remains a group of legislators committed to pushing antagonistic and wasteful legislation, who plan to force a vote on a felony drag ban next week in the Senate Judiciary Committee. We’re building a movement to show anti-LGBTQ+ reactionaries what good government can actually look like. If you want to be part of it, sign up to be a volunteer on our website! Or keep reading to learn more about what we’re doing in the three areas of our work:
Civic Advocacy
Political Power
Media & Events
Civic Advocacy
Action Alert: Senate Bill 1028
Status: On the Senate Judiciary Agenda for February 2.
Summary: Sponsored by Senator Kern, SB 1028 bans drag performances from public places or any other locations where drag “could be viewed by a minor.” Anyone charged under the law would face a misdemeanor, escalating to a felony after the first charge.
Next Steps: Senator Anthony Kern, the sponsor of SB 1028, is also the chair of the Judiciary Committee. Senator John Kavanagh, who has sponsored a separate drag ban and several other anti-LGBTQ+ bills this session, serves as the vice-chair. Rounding out the majority are Senators Wendy Rogers and Justine Wadsack, who have both displayed hostility toward our community in the past. Of the four, Senator Wadsack faced the most competition in her election, and may be the most likely to listen to her constituents. If you live in LD 17, make sure to call her to let her know how harmful this kind of legislation is.
Contact the Committee Majority
Anthony Kern: akern@azleg.gov, (602) 926-3497
John Kavanagh: jkavanagh@azleg.gov, (602) 926-5170
Wendy Rogers: wrogers@azleg.gov, (602) 926-3042
Justine Wadsack: jwadsack@azleg.gov, (602) 926-3106
Civic Advocacy Jam
11:00 am - 12:30 pm February 11, 2023 | register
Join us on February 11 for our next Civic Advocacy Jam! We’ll be past the deadline for new bills to be introduced in the Arizona Legislature, so it will be a busy time for committee hearings on a lot of the bills we’re tracking, from anti-LGBTQ+ attacks to housing reform and youth rights. We’ll use our time in this meeting to prep for effective testimony and to strategize for meetings with legislators. Can’t be there in person? Join through our Discord livestream instead!
Political Power
Political Power Team Meeting
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm February 9, 2023 | register
Join our Political Power volunteer team at PIP Coffee + Clay in Phoenix for our monthly meeting. Our focus this month will be upcoming citizen initiative campaigns, and we'll discuss our tools for direct action and direct democracy. Can’t be there in person? Join through our Discord livestream instead!
Media & Events
With bills like SB 1028 forcing an unjustified and unreasonable debate about drag, it’s important to make sure the conversation includes more context about drag culture and drag history, so we recorded a panel discussion with Freddy Prinze Charming, Felicia “Fefe” Minor, Michelle Miranda-Thorstad, and Marshall Shore at the Tempe Public Library last week.
Context creation like this is one of the pillars of our work, and we want you to be part of it! Join our Media & Events volunteer team at PIP Coffee + Clay in Phoenix for our monthly meeting. Our focus this month will be school board engagement and policy reporting, and like always we’ll brainstorm ways to use artistic expression for advocacy and opportunities to collaborate on dynamic audio and video productions. Can’t be there in person? Join through our Discord livestream instead!
Media & Events Team Meeting
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm February 2, 2023 | register
