Arizona

A blue surprise? As Arizona trends toward Biden, Latino voters stand out
(RNS) — The election results in Arizona are a testament to the grassroots organizing work that has been present in the state for the past 10 years.

Arizona Supreme Court gives Christian artists a lot less than they asked for
(RNS) — Two graphic artists claim that the ruling means that Phoenix’s anti-discrimination law “cannot compel us to imagine and create custom artwork that violates our beliefs.” Actually, that’s not the case.

Arizona artists win suit over same-sex wedding invitations
(AP) — Though the state Supreme Court said its ruling is limited to custom wedding invitations, the justices addressed a larger question of religious freedom and LGBT rights than the Colorado wedding cake case.

Arizona Senate candidate under attack for being Muslim
(USA Today) — Responses to Deedra Abboud’s Facebook posts have ranged from disturbing to just plain scary.

Botswana deporting U.S. pastor over anti-gay views
GABORONE, Botswana (Reuters) — Steven Anderson, of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Arizona, notoriously welcomed the gunning down in June of 50 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida by saying “there’s 50 less pedophiles in this world.”

Anti-gay Arizona pastor denied entry to South Africa
(RNS) The pastor of Tempe’s Faithful Word Baptist Church was due to visit South Africa later this month for a series of evangelical events.

Supreme Court rules for Arizona church in sign ordinance case
(RNS) A tiny Arizona church with no permanent home won 9-0 at the Supreme Court in a free speech case.

Pining for 1950s religiosity and missing the bigger picture (COMMENTARY)
(RNS) “People prayed, people went to church. I remember on Sundays the stores were closed,” said an Arizona state senator.

Is there a right way to respond to extreme homophobia? (ANALYSIS)
(RNS) The best reason to ignore Anderson isn’t to deny him press coverage, or to acknowledge that gay rights won and he lost, but to recognize that there are more important social justice issues the LGBT equality movement should focus on.

What happens next in the 20 states that still ban gay marriage?
(RNS) The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Monday leaves unchanged 20 state laws blocking same-sex unions. Each is already under legal attack, and some judges in those cases had been waiting to see what the high court would do. The court’s instruction Monday: Proceed.

Why has Arizona become a hotbed of atheist political participation?
The state of Arizona is an unlikely home for visible atheist politicians. But according to secular lobbyist Seráh Blain, a new national initiative may help more states mirror Arizona’s rapid expansion of atheist participation in politics.

Arizona Rep. Juan Mendez: We need atheist invocations
After Greece vs. Galloway, Arizona Rep. Juan Mendez tells RNS why atheists should offer invocations at government meetings, and why all people should support them.

Meet James Woods, who could be the first open atheist elected to Congress
Arizona’s James Woods could be the first person elected to U.S. Congress to openly campaign as an atheist, and the first blind member of Congress in nearly 100 years. He spoke with RNS about his beliefs and his campaign.

How Arizona’s ‘religious freedom’ bill became an ‘anti-gay’ bill
Arizona’s religious liberty bill became an anti-gay bill because both sides saw this a fight between religious liberty and LGBT rights.

Kansas, Arizona bills reflect national fight over gay rights vs. religious liberty
(RNS) Fights in Arizona and Kansas about denying services to gays and lesbians mirrors the national debate on whether the religious rights of business owners also extend to their for-profit companies.