How an anti-LGBTQ+ org teaches parents to overwhelm school admin

WOMEN OF ACTION: Last week, parents and community members gathered in a private web group to discuss something that wasn’t happening: Peoria Unified School District’s counselors were “transing” children.

There is no evidence of that, and nobody on the call provided proof of it. But the meeting—which was leaked to LOOKOUT after attempting to join but was denied entry—went on to double down on conspiracy theories that educators in the school district were using their positions of power to force kids into changing their gender.

How were they going to prove it? Teach people on the call to file public records requests.

On the call was Heather Rooks, who has consistently used her position on the Governing School Board in Peoria to make bogus claims about trans children, and is now being sued by a nonbinary teacher who was targeted by Rooks.

The group that organized the web meetup, Arizona Women of Action, is a far-right organization that advocates for state legislation targeting trans children, LGBTQ+ content, and is represented by America First Legal, founded by former Donald Trumps advisor Stephen Miller.

Read our story below:

In a leaked web meeting, far-right school board candidates doubled-down on anti-trans rhetoric.

The webcast, organized by Arizona Women of Action, is part of a campaign to use LGBTQ+ issues as a galvanizing issue this November.

LOOKOUTTori Gantz (she/they)

LOOKOUT'S TAKE: To be clear, there are multiple organizations in the state claiming that schools are pushing kids to transition. Nobody has provided evidence of this claim.

However, there has been actual evidence of increased LGBTQ+ hate crimes in the state—in part due to increased rhetoric around these false allegations. In the same school district where the web meetup took place, one teacher had their tires slashed and rocks thrown through their home window.

Online, we at LOOKOUT have fielded through dozens of comments claiming that we—a news outlet—are “grooming” kids.

Inflaming the public seems to be working. In a recent interview, one elected official on the campaign trail locally said that Democratic voters—though hyper aware of LGBTQ+ issues this election season—are not voting for it, specifically. However, across the aisle, Republican voters are consistently naming sex and identity issues in schools as a primary reason to get out and vote.

Are you voting this year? We want to hear your thoughts for an upcoming story. Respond back to this email to tell us about your thoughts and feelings about what it’s like living in Arizona during this election season.

🌵 LOCAL NEWS

• VOICES: This week we wrapped up our series on how Arizona’s sex education programs affect students later in life. You can rad our five-part interview series here. LOOKOUT
• LATINO PRIDE: This past weekend was Latino Pride in Phoenix, an annual festival before Tucson and Phoenix’s Pride festivals that celebrate the state’s growing LGBTQ+ Latinx community. Arizona Republic
• UNSEATING ROGERS?: A Northern Arizona nonbinary candidate is hoping to unseat Wendy Rogers in a deep-red part of the state. HerCampus

🇺🇸 NATIONAL NEWS

• ABANDONING US: After years of allegations that corporations that celebrate or amplify their brands during Pride months were doing performative allyship, the veil seems to have been lifted as many companies are backing away from support. Associated Press
• NOT BITTER: In a first, President Joe Biden gave an interview with an LGBTQ+ newspaper, the Washington Blade. It’s the first time a sitting president has ever sat down with a queer publication. We’re not bitter (we also didn’t try). Washington Blade
• WHY WE EXIST: A freelance transgender journalist explains what it’s like to try and work within a news landscape that forces them to question their existence, and if they’re impartial to report on stories. Columbia Journalism Review

Last week's question: How many eligible transgender voters live in Arizona, according to the Williams Institute study?

Last week's answer: 24,400