Correction: A former version of this story identified Anytown Leadership Program as the source of the controversial programming. Anytown Leadership Program responded to our request for comment post-publication to clarify that the programming came from their predecessor organization, identified as Anytown Arizona.
On a further note: As news of this controversy circulated, threats against the campers and staffers were reported. This is impermissible. AZ Free News does not condone or encourage threats of violence of any kind.
Another club within Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) has stirred up controversy over its social justice programming, “Unitown,” for its engagement with hot-button issues like sexuality and anti-racism. Though they’ve attracted national attention, SUSD’s Unitown clubs aren’t new or unique to the district. Unitown clubs and camps have existed within Arizona schools for decades.
The Arizona Daily Independent first reported on SUSD’s Unitown. They shared emails in which SUSD staff and teachers discussed implementation of the sexuality programming offered by the now-defunct social justice instructional organization Anytown Arizona: the “Safe Zone” and “Sexual Orientation” curriculum.
The Sexual Orientation curriculum included a skit titled “Herman’s Head,” in which a gender-confused child deals with their upset and confused parents, church, best friend, and current partner while dealing with the happiness of their potential partner. The minor playing the role of the gender-confused child is encouraged to pretend to contemplate suicide with a toy gun after pretending to handle the pressures of their friends and family.
That curriculum also included a “Sexual Orientation Exercise,” which asked the following questions of students:
What do you think caused your heterosexuality?
When and how did you first decide that you were a heterosexual?
Is it possible that your heterosexuality is just a phase that you may just grow out of?
Is it possible that your heterosexuality stems from a neurotic fear of others of the same sex?
If you’ve never slept with a person of the same sex, is it possible that all you need is a good gay/lesbian lover?
To whom have you disclosed your heterosexual tendencies?
Why do you heterosexuals feel compelled to seduce others into your lifestyle?
Why do you insist on flaunting your heterosexuality? Can’t you just be who you are and keep quiet?
Would you want your children to be heterosexual, knowing all the problems they’d face?
A disproportionate majority (side note: the actual figure is 98 percent) of child molesters are heterosexuals. Do you consider it safe to expose our children to heterosexual teachers?
Even with all the societal support marriage receives, the divorce rate is spiraling. Why are there so few stable relationships among heterosexuals?
Why do heterosexuals place so much emphasis on sex?
Considering the menace of overpopulation, how could the human race survive if everyone were heterosexual?
Could you trust a heterosexual therapist to be objective? Don’t you fear that the therapist might be inclined to influence you in the direction of his/her own learnings?
How can you become a whole person if you limit yourself to compulsive exclusive heterosexuality and fail to develop your natural, healthy homosexual potential?
There seem to be very few happy heterosexuals. Techniques have been developed that might enable you to change if you really want to. Have you considered electro-shock therapy?
Anytown Arizona wrote on the questionnaire that the goal was to reduce homophobia and create more straight allies. They wrote that homophobia was “an unrealistic fear or generalized negative attitude based on sexual orientation or gender identity.”
.@ScottsdaleUSD reportedly hosted a student club to “promote leadership and diversity” which was actually a cover for teaching gender identity and sexuality.
The Safe Zone curriculum included the “Gender Unicorn,” one of the common visuals to argue that gender and sexuality exist on a spectrum — similar to “Genderbread,” as reported on last year by AZ Free News. The visual was paired with reading assignments explaining further what’s taught using the Gender Unicorn.
SUSD launched their Unitown decades ago alongside a “Minitown.” Former SUSD Superintendent David Peterson described the programs in 2015 as opportunities to recognize and address racism, bigotry, bullying, prejudice, and intolerance. However, Unitown existed in SUSD for years before that. Back in 2005, students toldEast Valley Tribune that they were focusing on stereotyping, racial issues, and diversity in the SUSD club.
Other Arizona schools hosted or advocated for Unitown clubs and camps for decades. Up until around 2015, Greenway High School in the Glendale Union High School District engaged in Unitown activities.
As reported in the East Valley Tribune, the city of Chandler launched Unitown camps in 2003 based on the Anytown Leadership Camp. Even then, they focused on social justice issues in addition to leadership. It doesn’t appear that the Chandler-sponsored Unitown camp occurs anymore.
Some are confusing SUSD’s Unitown with the Unitown offered by Anytown Leadership Program, whose predecessor and affiliated organizations came up with Unitown decades ago. Their president, Amber Checky, told AZ Free News that SUSD has been running their Unitown independently since Anytown Arizona was shuttered around 2009.
In addition to Unitown, Anytown Leadership Program offers “Anytown Junior” workshops on social-emotional learning for K-5 students, the “Empowertown” in-school program on social justice issues for grades 6-12, and the “Minitown” condensed version of the summer camp for middle school students.
Anytown Leadership Program announced that they’re working on “CampusTown” for college students. The program plans on contracting with Arizona’s colleges to “create inclusive campuses and support activism and advocacy.”
Checky told AZ Free News that no schools are utilizing these current school programs at present.
The organization classifies their school programs as condensed versions of their $490 annual week-long camp occurring for 75 high schoolers. Of note, program staffers confiscate campers’ phones and prohibit them from speaking to their families while attending. In return, the high schoolers receive 50 hours of certified leadership training/service.
This year, the program has over 42 high schools represented.
The woke, TikTok famous elementary school teacher nominated by the Arizona Secretary of State’s office last year for her classroom activism, Amanda Delphy, is one of the camp staffers. In a TikTok posted this week, Delphy credited the camp for making her into the person she is today.
What’s YOUR favorite part about Anytown?
Don’t have an Anytown memory yet? Don’t fret! There’s still time to apply for Anytown Leadership Camp! Share with teens 14-19 today!
— Anytown Leadership Camp (@AnytownCamp) May 23, 2022
The Anytown Leadership Program receives taxpayer dollars for work. The organization recently received a grant from Arizona Humanities, a nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for Humanities — the funding source of their grants.
We are excited to announce that Anytown received a grant from @AZHumanities!
— Anytown Leadership Camp (@AnytownCamp) June 7, 2022
Anytown Leadership Program began in the 1950s, arising from a 1927 initiative responding to anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish sentiments at the time: the National Conference for Christians and Jews (NCCJ), later renamed in 1998 to the National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ). They closed their operations and had a brief hiatus in the early 2000s before relaunching under new leadership.
Prior to 2009, each Arizona high school nominated two students to represent them at one of the program’s eight Anytown Leadership Camps held every summer.
The 2008 recession caused the original Anytown Leadership Camp to be shuttered in 2009. Alumni resurrected the program in 2014, making it into its present-day form focusing on social justice issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion.
– My existence is revolutionary. – I am worthy of love and acceptance. – I deserve to take up space. – My pronouns and gender identity are valid. – I deserve to feel safe & protected everywhere I go. – I give myself permission to shine.#WeAreAnytownpic.twitter.com/HqE6lxB2kI
— Anytown Leadership Camp (@AnytownCamp) June 3, 2022
NCCJ offers an “Anytown” programming similar to the Phoenix-based Anytown Leadership Program.
Upcoming sessions for virtual NCCJ Anytown programming concern “dismantling anti-blackness,” anti-racism, DEI (short for diversity, equity, and inclusion), and “understanding sizeism” (prejudice or discrimination against individuals based on their weight). These sessions focus on one or several of the “9 Identities”: ageism, dress code sexism, heterosexism, human trafficking, microaggressions, racism, religionism, sexism, and sizeism.
The 9 Identities have forthcoming bulletins on the NCCJ resource page to explain their place in the world of social justice. The other bulletins address social justice definitions as a whole, ableism, adultism, Black Lives Matter, cissexism, classism, colorism, consent, cultural appropriation, environmental justice, homelessness, internalization, intersectionality, neurodiversity, privilege, veteran’s affairs, and women’s rights.
State Senator Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix) lamented Anytown’s shift in focus.
Parents have traditionally had a positive view of Anytown. A trusted place where their kids have fun and learn civics-not a brainwashing clinic. No more. https://t.co/t9luWissni
SUSD parent Amanda Wray — one of the individuals included in the dossier compiled by former SUSD board president Jann-Michael Greenburg’s father, Mark Greenburg — told AZ Free News that the programming should inspire parents to rethink their approach when addressing these controversial topics.
“Conservatives need to stop using the term ‘CRT.’ What’s happening isn’t about a legal framework being taught in schools — we know K-12 students are not learning legal theories. What is happening is radical, racial division being taught not only to distract from the decline in public school academics, but it is indisputably to train students to become social activists,” said Wray. “This camp, which started out years ago as a wonderful way to unite students and respect other‘s differences, seems to have morphed into yet another form of social justice activist training. And it’s unwittingly being funded by taxpayers.”
A number of recognizable names are listed among Anytown Leadership Program supporters: the Arizona Coyotes, the Fiesta Bowl, Starbucks, Peoria Diamond Club, Amazon, Bank of America, PayPal, Target, Aldi, and CVS Health.
— Anytown Leadership Camp (@AnytownCamp) May 11, 2022
Those who fund over $7,500 to Anytown Leadership Program include the Arizona Community Foundation, the Arizona Coyotes Foundation, the David Frazier Endowment Fund, and the Fiesta Bowl Charities. Those who fund between $5,000 to $7,500 include Phoenix Pride, the Robert Cialdini and Bobette Gorden Family Foundation, Rob Jaimes, Sandy Fromm, and Voya Financial.
Those who fund between $1,000 to $5,000 include the Peoria Diamond Club; the Starbucks Foundation; David Gass; Fromm, Smith, & Gadow, P.C.; and Matt Case. Those who fund over $500 to $1,000 annually include Bank of America, Brock Insurance Services, David Gale, Diane Geimer, Jennifer Gadow, John Boyle, Leida and Greg Davis, Lisa Stone, Nancy Fromm, Phoenix Pediatrics, and Spire Health Club.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
On Sunday, Maricopa County used its official social media accounts to tell residents to educate themselves about the LGBTQ+ history. The post comes midway through what some of the country recognizes to be Pride Month, acknowledgment and celebration of LGBTQ+ lifestyles.
During #PrideMonth, take time to educate yourself and others about the history of LGBTQ rights in America. @mcldaz has a collection of books sharing the history and experiences of people in the LGBTQ community to get you started: https://t.co/aDCfCMr2rBpic.twitter.com/qwu8ogtVeO
The county directed residents to utilize resources from the Maricopa County Library District (MCLD). The district organized adult, teen, juvenile, and children reading lists as well as film and TV suggestions for Pride Month.
For those under 10 years old, the picture books were “Strong” by Eric Rosswood, about the world’s only openly-gay powerlifter; “The Rainbow Parade” by Emily Neilson, about a lesbian couple who help their little girl work past her nerves to attend her first Pride parade; “Twas the Night Before Pride” by Joanna McClintick, about families preparing for a Pride parade; “My Moms Love Me” by Anna Membrino, and “Plenty of Hugs” by Fran Manushkin, about children raised by lesbian couples; “What Are Your Words” by Katherine Locke, about gender identity pronouns; “Two Grooms on a Cake” by Rob Sanders, about the first wedding between two gay men before it was legalized; “Sam is My Sister” by Ashley Rhodes-Courter, about a family encouraging their gender-confused little boy to become a transgender girl; “Daddy & Dada” by Ryan Brockington, about a little girl raised by two gay men; “It Feels Good to Be Yourself” by Theresa Thorn, about gender identity and transgenderism; “Kind Like Marsha” by Sarah Prager, about historic LGBTQ+ individuals; and “Cinderelliot” by Mark Ceilley, a retelling of Cinderella but with two gay men.
Most reactions to the post were negative. Residents asked why the county was advocating for certain ideologies over others.
“I don’t think government-run institutions should be telling citizens what they should ‘accept and affirm,’ much less celebrate,” replied one Twitter user.
“I wonder, you push ‘Pride Month,’ do you present ‘heterosexual’ lifestyles by offering book readings from the Bible?” replied one Facebook user. “And, in the same book, you can find our creator’s thoughts on LGBTQ+ — since LGBTQ+ isn’t new, it has been around since the earliest times of history (refer to Genesis 19).”
Other residents lamented that the county was focused on social justice agendas instead of issues plaguing the city like the homelessness and violent crime surges.
“This is why Maricopa County must be broken up. Get busy and stop crime. Help with the homeless problem,” replied another Twitter user.
Pride Month originated from the Stonewall Riots, or Stonewall Uprising, in June 1969. The six days of riots were in response to a police raid on a gay bar in Manhattan, New York. At that time, homosexual relations were illegal. A year later, LGBTQ+ activists commemorated the riots with gay pride marches in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
Of nearly 400 national universities, none of Arizona’s three public universities broke the top 100 on the latest rankings of national universities. The lowest-ranked school was Northern Arizona University (NAU) at 288, followed by Arizona State University (ASU) at 117, and then University of Arizona (UArizona) at 103.
This data came from the U.S. News 2022 college rankings.
NAU tied for their 288 ranking with 10 other schools, barely eking out a ranking at all. After 288, U.S. News ranked each school without specificity in a range of 299 to 391. Among those not given a specific ranking were University of Phoenix and Grand Canyon University.
The 10 schools tied with NAU were Dallas Baptist University in Texas, East Tennessee State University, Long Island University in New York, Marshall University in West Virginia, Middle Tennessee State University, Portland State University in Oregon, South Dakota State University, University of Hawaii at Hilo, University of Puerto Rico – Rico Piedras, and University of Texas at Arlington.
NAU averaged a six-year graduation rate of 55 percent, with those who didn’t receive a Pell Grant doing better (61 percent) than those who did (50 percent).
NAU’s median starting salary for alumni is $48,100, and average an acceptance rate of 82 percent.
ASU tied for their 117 ranking with four other schools: Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in New York, University of South Carolina, and University of Vermont.
ASU averaged a six-year graduation rate of 69 percent, with those who didn’t receive a Pell Grant doing better (71 percent) than those who did (59 percent).
ASU ranked 1 for most innovative school, 10 for best undergraduate teaching, tied at 54 for top public schools, tied at 70 for best colleges for veterans, 139 for best value schools, and tied at 179 for top performers on social mobility.
ASU’s median starting salary for alumni is $54,400, and average an acceptance rate of 88 percent.
UArizona tied for their 103 ranking with 13 other schools: Clark University in Massachusetts, Creighton University in Nebraska, Drexel University in Pennsylvania, Loyola University Chicago in Illinois, Miami University in Ohio, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Saint Louis University in Missouri, Temple University in Pennsylvania, University of California Santa Cruz, University of Illinois Chicago, University of San Francisco in California, University of South Florida, and University of Tennessee Knoxville.
UArizona averaged a six-year graduation rate of 64 percent, with those who didn’t receive a Pell Grant doing better (68 percent) than those who did (59 percent).
UArizona tied at 46 for most innovative school and for top public school, tied at 62 for best colleges for veterans, ranked 122 for best value school, and tied at 143 for top performers on social mobility.
UArizona’s median starting salary for alumni is $55,600, and average an acceptance rate of 85 percent.
The top ten national universities were, in order: Princeton University ranked at 1; Columbia University, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology tied at 2; Yale University ranked at 5; Stanford University and University of Chicago tied at 6; University of Pennsylvania ranked at 8; and California Institute of Technology, Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University tied at 9.
The remaining three of the eight Ivy League schools — Brown University, Cornell University, and Dartmouth College — fell outside the top 10 but ranked within the top 20.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
On Monday, the Arizona Senate passed the “Glenn Martin Act” unanimously requiring hospitals to allow daily, in-person family visitation. Only the Arizona State Hospital will be exempt from this bill, HB2633.
The bill now heads to the governor for final approval.
State Representative Quang Nguyen (R-Prescott Valley) explained during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in February that the wife of the bill’s namesake, Glenn Martin, was unable to visit or serve as a patient advocate for her husband while he lay dying in the hospital. The Martins were married 38 years. Nguyen read a letter from Martin’s wife.
“The reality is, a complete stranger was the one who got to hold Glenn’s hand to comfort him, and to sit next to him as he said his final, dying words. This should have been me,” read the letter. “How would you feel if your spouse or child was left to take their final breath without you there to kiss them gently and ensure them [of] how much they were loved?”
In a tweet announcing the Senate’s passage of the bill, Nguyen reiterated the message of the letter from Martin’s wife.
“No one should die alone,” asserted Nguyen.
Today, HB2633 Glenn Martin Act (Hospital Visitation) passed out of the Senate 26-0. I want to take this moment to thank all Senators who supported this bill and my seatmate, President Fann, for putting HB2633 on the board. No one should die alone. pic.twitter.com/dMGVhrbfdU
Last year, Nguyen sponsored a similar bill on hospital visitation policies, HB2575, to ensure that terminal patients have a right to have clergy visitation — even during a pandemic. Governor Doug Ducey signed that bill into law last May.
HB2575 Clergy Hospital Visitation during a pandemic will go to the Governor’s desk. Gr8ful for help from Rep Osborne, Sen Mesnard, Sen Barto, R Johnson, and CAP. pic.twitter.com/Z8vapkja6k
As AZ Free News reported earlier this year, Arizonans testified in favor of a similar clergy and visitation rights bill from State Senator Nancy Barto (R-Phoenix): SB1514. That bill was passed in the Senate but never made it to the House floor. Those Arizonans in support of SB1514 recounted their own experiences with hospitals preventing them from visiting their loved ones due to COVID-19 policies.
In addition to their inability to visit their sick and dying loved ones, the families explained that the policies rendered them unable to serve as health care advocates to their loved ones — similar to what Glenn Martin’s wife described.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
This summer, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) will develop a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations. The state anticipates receiving $76.5 million in federal dollars for the project, funding courtesy of the $5 billion set aside for states through the Biden administration’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
ADOT announced the plans in a press release last Thursday. The initial roadmap for electric vehicle charging stations follows along the international highways running through the state, or “federally-designated corridors”: the I-8, I-10, I-17, and I-40. There’s also a proposed charging corridor for the I-19 connecting Mexico and Tucson.
At present, ADOT is seeking public input and plans to submit an initial plan in August.
ADOT laying groundwork to develop statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations. More than $76 million in federal dollars on the way to state. More: https://t.co/bYdirQMSFHpic.twitter.com/Nt4StF3nsP
On Thursday, the Biden administration announced new standards for the NEVI Formula Program. They said that the need for the standards arose from concerns over electric vehicles’ limited range on a full charge, what they called “range anxiety,” and the possibility of few and far between charging stations, or “vehicle charging deserts.”
ADOT is laying groundwork to develop statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations.
More than $76 million in federal dollars is on the way to Arizona.
Arizona officials are moving ahead despite widespread bipartisan concern that only the wealthy can afford to buy electric. That’s reflected further by past recipients of tax credits for electric vehicles: nearly 80 percent were those making over $100,000.
Additionally, critics point out that tax credits aren’t immediate relief but function to alleviate the additional financial burden on the back end. Bloombergestimated in March that less than 15 percent of Americans could afford to buy electric.
On the low or “mainstream” end, new electric cars cost between $27,000 and $32,000. Those more affordable models come with a lower range: about 150 to just under 230 miles for the cheapest option, and just under 260 for the high end.
Luxury models with higher ranges cost much more. The low end just under $47,000 comes with a range of just over 270 miles to just under 360 miles. The highest range of just over 400 to 520 miles comes with a $77,400 price tag — a down payment of about $15,500. The 2020 census reported that the median household income in Arizona is about $61,500.
By contrast, gas vehicles cover the same distance as high-end luxury electric models at a much cheaper cost than low-end mainstream electric cars. At just over $20,600, the Nissan Sentra can travel just over 400 miles on one tank. That’s about $5,000 more than the average down payment needed for an electric vehicle of comparable range — the Nissan Sentra down payment would be over $4,100.
There’s even challenges to the claims of electric vehicles’ range. Forbes reported that multiple years of road testing electric vehicles showed that marketed range fell short of actual range — an average of 20 percent less.
Arizonans’ buying power falls further in light of the reality that the median income will cover increasingly less. Arizona families are paying over $500 more a month in household costs due to inflation. In Phoenix, inflation spiked recently to 11 percent.
President Biden’s inflation disaster is costing AZ families $500+ more per month in added household costs. Curbing the damage of Biden’s policies is a top priority. Cutting taxes is an answer. We’ve done so by adopting the lowest flat tax in the nation. https://t.co/Pq3AQfkahw
Yet, major cities are launching their own electric vehicle infrastructure initiatives as well. In addition to ADOT, the city of Phoenix announced last month its draft roadmap for widespread electric vehicle use. Phoenix leadership anticipated that up to 280,000 electric vehicles would be in the area within the next decade. Part of their initiative includes switching city vehicles to electric, establishing electric vehicle charging stations for the city and its employees, and updating the zoning ordinance and building codes by 2025 to standardize electric vehicle charging access.
The City's Electric Vehicle Roadmap is out, and we want to hear what you think!
— City of Phoenix, AZ (@CityofPhoenixAZ) June 3, 2022
Additionally, Tucson City Council enacted a policy last summer requiring electric vehicle charging outlets on all new constructions of one- and two-family dwellings. The city is now attempting to enact a similar requirement for apartments and commercial development. The community is embroiled in controversy over city leadership’s efforts.
Their state senator, Minority Whip Victoria Steele, attempted to pass similar legislation this session. That bill never made it to the Senate floor for a final vote, though it did pass out of committee.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
