Debates, Project 25, SCOTUS…

…and other garbage

Hey there Secular Fam, it’s been a minute. I hate when there is a lull between my Substack columns because there’s always so much going on and you’ve all been so supportive and loyal over the last 1.5 years since we launched it. 

But I gotta tell you, these last few weeks have been tough on all of us. My running joke these days is “we’re living in the worst timeline ever” but it’s getting more difficult to find the humor in *gestures broadly* all of this. 

There are 116 days until the 2024 general election, and all I can see is chaos. It’s a long slog till November 5th, so we all (again) need to give ourselves some grace. Unlike other years, I’ve noticed that school districts are mostly continuing to meet through the summer. In my anecdotal experience, many districts will take the month of July off, but this year not so much. I’m guessing that for some districts, this is because of the massive budget shortfalls they’re facing. 

Since vouchers, the flat tax, and (in Maricopa County) the County Assessor legal decision are draining funding from public schools, the outlook is bleak. The wants of the haves have replaced the needs of the have-nots. 

All of this is by design. 

Their endgame is to destroy public education. 

Just look at what the architects of Project 2025 are proposing for the Department of Education. 

If you haven’t dove into the Maricopa County Assessor lawsuit, my understanding is that some short term rental (STR) owners didn’t like being taxed for having rental properties. They filed a lawsuit and that lawsuit “corrected” the tax bill for those people, and left fire stations, school districts, and other public entities scrambling to pay for this (totally by design) “error.”

I remember during my undergrad program at ASU (shout out to the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication!), one of my favorite rhetorical communication professors talked about how in capitalism, billionaires and our corporate overlords essentially get us to fight each other and how the mere thought of someone else getting ahead can drive working class people to gate-keep spaces of perceived wealth. That was nearly 20 years ago, and while I could see it occasionally back then, I see it EVERYWHERE now. 

For far too many Americans, their patriarchal, individualistic, and capitalistic upbringing convinces them that all one needs is “grit” and “resilience” when just providing folks’ basic needs would be a much better approach. 

Somehow, the evangelical extremists have convinced their flocks of worshippers that Jesus was a capitalist (he wasn’t), and that the unbridled greed in late-stage capitalism is a good thing (it’s not) that he would have supported (he wouldn’t have). Because of their grooming and indoctrination, they believe that suffering on this planet is part of “god’s (which one? NO ONE KNOWS!) plan.”

It’s quite the racket, really. They’ve been threatened convinced to believe they can tithe their way into Heaven. 

And that’s not all. Not only does their blind faith to diabolical church leaders cause them to overlook the actual teachings of Christ, but it also causes them to contribute to the abuse of innocent children and families. 

And really, this is on purpose. Our organization speaks regularly to people who have escaped evangelical abuse. Just a couple of weeks ago, we spoke to author, Cait West, about her book Rift: A Memoir of Breaking Away from Christian Patriarchy. When I look around at who is actually protecting children, it’s folks like Cait West and RL Stollar who speak out every day to combat spiritual abuse. 

I’m so grateful that my parents did not indoctrinate me with religion or subject me to spiritual abuse, and I sometimes find it difficult to understand those who still adhere to such abusive ideologies. 

In my role however, it’s kind of my job to understand, so I speak to religious folks on the regular. I’ve spoken to far too many Christian refugees of late, and regardless of my own (non)belief, I can sympathize with their sense of loss. If I had a nickel for every time I’ve spoken with Christians who reject Christian nationalism, I’d have enough money to hire a full-time attorney to help us address the endless legal complaints that are coming our way (largely due to out-of-control, crazy-pants Christian nationalists). 

Just look at what’s been going on at the Gateway Church in Southlake Texas. You know, the church that up until very recently employed one of Trump’s “spiritual advisors.” 

Why “until very recently” you ask? Well, that’s because he (and his wife) is a victim-blaming child rapist of course. 

Oh, and by the way, did y’all know that the (Jeffrey) Epstein files have been unsealed? Weird how no one is talking about that, huh? You know what happens when progressives find out one of their own is a groomer? A pedophile? 

We speak TF out about it. 

So try to remember this when you engage with these religious groomers, pedophiles, abusers, and apologists:

Every accusation is a confession. 

These are deeply unserious people who, at this point one can only assume support the abuse and victimization of children. 

So though I do not normally focus too much on national politics, at this point, we kind of have to. I mean, you know, since the evangelical extremists’ preferred commander in chief seems to be a fan of misogyny, sexual abuse, and just general blatent dishonesty, and the other guy could barely form a sentence, it’s important. 

Two weeks ago, when the presidential “debate” turned to the candidates’ golf scores, I nearly lost my everlovin’ mind. Most Millennials and Gen Zers (like my own children) will likely never be able to own a home, may not be able to make their own reproductive decisions, and will most assuredly be affected by climate change. But please, do go on about your golf handicap, you decrepit, out-of-touch oafs. 

I was quiet last week because my soul was reeling from the one-two punch of the “debate” and the decision coming down from SCOTUS saying that presidents can do…well…whatever TF they want to. 

Even with the excitement of Independence Day and the guarantee that inconsiderate neighbors would endlessly blast off fireworks for several days straight, getting out of bed has been hard this month. 

So even though there was a truly terrible study session and regular meeting a few weeks ago in Peoria (PUSD), I didn’t cover it. If you want to torture yourself, you can watch all 4.5 hours of it here (TRIGGER WARNING: EXTREME BIGOTED HATE SPEECH).  

The way that Board Member Rooks and her evangelical extremist minions speak about trans folks is hateful. It’s heartbreaking that some people are downright gleeful in their torment of others. They speak with such full-throated privilege and blind confidence about their targeting and harassment of children. 

Children and families they’re supposed to be serving, mind you. 

I’ve never seen so many un-Christlike “christians” in my life. It’s quite despicable. 

Speaking of the gleeful torment of our most vulnerable students and families, remember how all the bigots showed up in Flagstaff (FUSD) last month to tell everyone present how much they think about children’s genitalia? 

Prepare to celebrate, Coconino County Secularists, because FUSD voted (4-1) to approve the Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) curriculum since every study shows CSE keeps kids safer. Thank you so much, FUSD! And Secular Fam, please show the governing board there your appreciation by sending an email! 

Weird that so many “christians” came out last month to speak against it, but didn’t show up in July. Hmmmm…I wonder why they’d do that?

Even though Moms for Liberty, Arizona Women of Action, and Mom Army sent their minions to Coconino County for last month’s FUSD meeting, they don’t represent FUSD, they didn’t show up this week (you know, since they don’t live there), and the level-headed voices prevailed. 

PUSD is a different story. 

These suburban smatchets show up for their Hate Speech Toastmasters Club with such bravado and pride. Despite President Proudfit’s admirable attempts to keep them in check, they’re still kind of running the meeting. If you want to make a difference there, email the board, show up and/or speak to show support, and support the pro-public education candidates in this nonpartisan race. Or maybe you can offer some proofreading services to one of their board members. 

I’m so tired of these deeply unserious, hateful bigots, I will only provide essential commentary of PUSD going forward. The same goes for Deer Valley (DVUSD). 

Thankfully, the newly elected leadership in DVUSD has put a stop to most of the tomfoolery happening there, despite Board Member Fisher’s attempts to solve problems that don’t exist. 

Also! 

I just found out that on some Moms for Liberty forum she essentially said that teachers are underworked and overpaid, guilty of “taxpayer robbery.” Interesting choice for someone who claims to be on the side of educators. 👀👀👀

So rather than give them the oxygen they so crave, Imma go ahead and make some Substack recommendations of my own. 

If you want to read accurate accounts about the actual laws, policies, and court cases affecting trans people, check out Erin Reed’s Substack. She is a trans activist and journalist who covers where these laws are being implemented. 

If you’d like to read about how evangelical extremism is seeping into our government at every level, support another great journalist, Chrissy Stroop (who, BTW, will be speaking with us in an upcoming Friday Secular Speaker Series, August 30, 2024). 

There is also a fantastic, local publication called LOOKOUT PHX, and they cover LGBTQIA+ issues all over the state of Arizona. We’ll actually be participating in their “Summer of Solutions” series in a panel discussion next weekend about how to navigate through all the misinformation and vitriol coming from anti-LGBTQ, anti-public education, and religious zealots. Don’t miss it!

There are an awful lot of people out there working their butts off right now to fight for our democracy at every level of government, and I suggest that’s what you do too. There are endless opportunities to join the fight in one way or another. 

We’ve been talking about the threat of white Christian nationalism for nearly 15 years now, and now, Project 2025 is on the lips of everyday Americans. 

So now more than ever, we need your support. 

Become a member. Sign up to volunteer. Find a candidate who will fight to protect the wall that separates religion and government, and give them your time, talent, and treasure. Keep your chin up, Secular Fam! And remember: they are loud, but we are many.