13 Jan 19th–Jan 25th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | B efore the new session of the Arizona State Legislature, which includes a host of kooky characters both familiar and new on the scene, even convened, its slim Republican majority was ginning up controversy by taking aim at drag queens, student pronouns, and the state’s LGBTQ residents. The state legislature opened on January 9 with a freshly laundered batch of proposals in hand targeting LGBTQ people. It’s nothing new for the state’s GOP, which has whipped up anti-gay hate in the Arizona Capitol for years. In 2022, state lawmakers passed — and former Governor Doug Ducey signed into law — three anti- LGBTQ bills. This year, Republican Senators John Kavanagh, quite possibly the state’s worst lawmaker, and Anthony Kern, who was fired from a police job for lying, sponsored five pieces of legislation targeting LGBTQ people in schools and public places. The two lawmakers have a long history of sponsoring anti-LGBTQ bills based on whatever iteration of homophobia may be trending at the time — gay marriage, bath- rooms, and reproductive health to name a few. This year, it’s pronouns and drag shows. In 2013, Kavanagh’s so-called “bath- room bill,” which would have criminalized taking a leak if a person’s birth certificate didn’t match the stick-figure sign on the stall door, was flushed away following national outrage. Last year, another of Kavanagh’s failed bills aimed to limit teaching about sexuality, gender, and gender identity and restrict student groups focused on LGBTQ issues. In 2019, Kern warned that “LGBTQ rights” could “take over” under Democratic rule in the legislature. Phoenix Pride Executive Director Mike Fornelli called Kavanagh and Kern “the most ignorant, spiteful, and childish lawmakers in Arizona” in a statement to Phoenix New Times. He added that they are “led by the leash of uber-conservative interest groups who are more interested in creating problems than solving them.” Kavanagh, meanwhile, said “it’s not about hate, it’s about protecting our kids.” Here are the five anti-LGBTQ bills filed so far by Kavanagh and Kern. Pronoun Problems SB 1001, sponsored by Kavanagh, would make it a crime for teachers and school staff to refer to students by their preferred pronouns without written consent from their parents. Even with parental permission, school employees could still choose not to use the student’s preferred pronouns. “It’s really important to focus on the fact that not every kid can depend on the support of a parent or know ahead of time if their parent is going to be supportive,” said Jeanne Woodbury, the interim execu- tive director of Equality Arizona. Woodbury said that for many queer children, it’s less intimidating to first experiment with new pronouns, nick- names, and gender expressions at school. LGBTQ youth are disproportionately represented among the state’s unhoused population due to the unique issues they face, including discrimination by family members, according to the LGBTQ Behavioral Health Coalition of Southern Arizona. Kavanagh’s bill would interfere with support LGBTQ students could receive at school, according to critics of the legislation. “It’s not fair to put kids in a position to not have any support at all unless they have parental support,” Woodbury said. Kavanagh’s bill would also criminalize the use of nicknames in schools unless the nickname is traditionally associated with the student’s biological sex. “You can’t just call Robert ‘Nancy,’” the eight-term Arizona lawmaker said. Kavanagh recognized that, under the legislation, LGBTQ students “wouldn’t get the affirmation they’re asking for.” But he turned the blame on the children. By using preferred pronouns, “you’re forcing people to call you something against their beliefs,” he said. Calling a student by “an improper pronoun or first name” is a violation of parental rights, Kavanagh said. LGBTQ advocates said the legislation could also violate the First Amendment. “I can’t see how that’s not a violation of free speech,” Woodbury said. “We have the right to iden- tify how we want. We have the right to ask people to respect our identities. It’s a blatantly unconstitutional idea.” Teacher Trouble Another bill from Kavanagh, SB 1005, would prohibit courts from ruling against schools and other govern- mental entities when suedfor violating the parental bill of rights. The bill contains exceptions for harassment and frivolousness. In 2022, Ducey signed into law a bill that created a parental bill of rights allowing parents to have access to all health, counseling, and electronic records of their children. The bill also allows parents to sue schools should their “parental bill of rights,” as outlined in the law, be violated. The measure originally included language that forced teachers to out LGBTQ students to their parents, but that was dropped before the bill passed. The bill took effect in September. SASHAY AWAY Two Republican lawmakers are spearheading an attack on pronouns, drag shows, and Arizona’s LGBTQ residents. BY ELIAS WEISS Noelle Canez, who performs as Daddy Satan, at Rebel Lounge on January 13. >> p 15 Amendment. “I can’t see how that’s not a violation of free speech,” Woodbury said. “We have the right to iden- tify how we want. We have the right to ask people to respect our identities. It’s a blatantly unconstitutional idea.” Teacher Trouble Another bill from Kavanagh, SB 1005, would prohibit courts from ruling against schools and other govern- mental entities when suedfor violating the parental bill of rights. The bill contains exceptions for harassment and frivolousness. In 2022, Ducey signed into law a bill Matt Hennie A drag performer during the Phoenix Pride parade on October 16.
