by Staff Reporter | Jan 29, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The Tucson Pride organization will be shutting down after nearly 50 years of existence.
The organization maintained the third-oldest Pride entity in the country, and the first and oldest one in Arizona.
The announcement comes exactly a month before the organization was slated to have its annual pride festival.
The Tucson Pride Board of Directors said in an announcement that it would refund all funds received for this year’s festival within 30 to 90 days.
“This decision was not made lightly. We recognize the deep importance Tucson Pride has held in our community since 1977, serving as a space of visibility, advocacy, celebration, and resilience for nearly five decades,” stated the organization on its Facebook page and website. “We are profoundly grateful to every volunteer, sponsor, artist, activist, and community member who has supported Tucson Pride throughout its history.”
Tucson Pride was founded following the murder of Richard Heakin in 1976 outside Stonewall Tavern.
The organization’s nonprofit status (Tucson Lesbian and Gay Alliance) was jeopardized in the recent past for failing to file on time. The IRS automatically revoked their nonprofit status in May 2024 for failing to file their tax returns for three consecutive years.
Tucson Pride said one of their prior board members “missed” the 2021 and 2022 tax filings. They did not name the prior board member allegedly responsible for the missing filings.
According to their latest available filing from 2020, the board of directors at the time included Rocque Perez.
Perez is a state senate candidate and a formerly appointed member of the Tucson City Council. AZ Free News reported on the recent discovery of Perez’s deletion of his pornographic and violent social media accounts.
Other directors per that last 2020 filing included Samantha Cloud (president), Jeff Myers-Fulgham (vice president), Stephen R. Myers-Fulgham (treasurer), and Matthew Taylor (secretary).
Tax filings revealed the Tucson Lesbian and Gay Alliance had a significant dropoff in revenue between its 2019 and 2020 filings. The 2020 reported revenue ($18,400) was $28,800 lower than its lowest revenue over the past decade of available reports, dating back to 2010.
Prior to 2020, the organization had reported a steady rise in revenue from 2015 to 2019, having a reported revenue high of $171,000 before the 2020 decline.
The organization had a steady rise in revenue from 2016 to 2019.
Last October, Tucson Pride leadership delayed its Pride festival due to financial problems and political pressures. The organization reported having over $50,000 in debt following a slash to ticket sales and donations after 2024.
“Nationwide, LGBTQIA+ nonprofits have seen donations and corporate sponsorships decline due to shifting politics and increased hostility toward queer causes,” said the board. “Tucson Pride has felt this squeeze firsthand, making local fundraising more challenging than in past years.”
A 2024 financial overview provided by Tucson Pride reflected that gross earnings totaled over $110,000, but their expenses totaled nearly $156,000: $37,000 on entertainment; $7,000 on food, beverage, and ice; $50,000 on infrastructure; $5,000 on logistics; $2,000 on marketing; $7,000 on permitting; $27,000 on public safety; $5,000 on tech; $1,000 on a Tihan donation; and $13,000 on supplies.
Cash sponsorships totaled just over $54,000, and festival sales totaled $63,000.
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by Staff Reporter | Jan 25, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
An owner of a Tucson beauty spa said she has plans to poison ICE agents.
Tucson spa owner Helen Barayeva posted a video to her since-deleted spa business account on TikTok describing her goal to give food poisoning to ICE agents. Barayeva also indicated her intention to come up with other “biological weapon” tactics to employ against immigration enforcement.
“I know what we can do. We can figure out where they’re giving their food, right? The ICE agents? And we can at least give them food poisoning. That’s easy to do,” said Barayeva. “All you have to do is not wash your hands when you’re prepping their food. I mean, how easy is that, right? That is a biological weapon. Okay, I’m going to come up with more.”
Barayeva owned Refreshed Looks Aesthetics, at the time housed inside the Les Cheveux Salon and Boutique.
Barayeva, a former dental hygienist, has also used her Facebook business page to air some of her political views on President Donald Trump, though her “biological weapon” video from TikTok was not on that page as of this report.
Since Barayeva’s post received criticisms online, Barayeva has deleted her Instagram, X, TikTok, and Threads accounts. Her Facebook page remains active as of this report.
The available archived posts from Barayeva indicate long-standing support for progressive politics.
“Joy [Behar], I absolutely love and adore you. Keep speaking the truth,” said Barayeva in one X (then Twitter) post from 2021. “God bless you and give you many great years ahead. I watch the View every day and love your perspective.”
Multiple individuals on social media indicated that they reported Barayeva to authorities for her threats of violence.
This month, the Department of Homeland Security reported an 8,000 percent increase in death threats against federal law enforcement and their families, notably on the deep web. DHS also reported over 1,300 percent increase in assaults and 3,200 percent increase in vehicular attacks.
The agency says Democratic leadership is to blame for encouraging political violence among their followers.
“We’re having our ICE lawyers stalked and being followed on their way home,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, in an interview with Fox News. “I think it’s about time the left looks in the mirror and says ‘enough is enough.’ And they have to put public safety and law enforcement safety ahead of their own political gain.”
Arizona’s Democratic congressional leaders are working to stop the expanded immigration enforcement efforts.
Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego introduced a bill last week to remove ICE agents’ ability to apply use of force. Their press release on the bill cited the shooting of Renee Good, an anti-ICE activist who sustained a fatal gunshot wound earlier this month when she attempted to drive forward into an ICE agent during a protest in Minnesota.
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero depicted ICE agents as unnecessary agents of violence.
“No community should be subjected to fear, intimidation or violence in the name of immigration enforcement,” said Romero. “The unchecked violence, masked agents, and excessive use of force is creating fear and chaos in our communities.”
In a video posted earlier this week to Instagram, Romero advocated for protesters to abstain from violence.
“I ask that you be peaceful and nonviolent in your protests. They’re so much more powerful to make your point,” said Romero. “Stay safe and please stay nonviolent.”
Phoenix City Councilman Kevin Robinson accused ICE of undermining trust in law enforcement.
“Clear standards and transparency help ensure enforcement is conducted responsibly and with respect for the people it affects,” said Robinson.
In his statement on the bill, Sen. Kelly also came to the defense of ICE protesters, even those impeding immigration enforcement operations. Kelly claimed the present budget for ICE is excessive because it exceeds that of the Marine Corps.
Rep. Eli Crane said Kelly was wrong to defend the protesters and criticize the ICE budget. The congressman said ICE’s increased budget and show of force were necessary to bring the illegal immigration crisis to heel.
“Why, Senator [Kelly], does the budget of ICE have to be larger than the U.S. Marine Corps? Oh, that’s because you and President Joe Biden and all the other Democrats let 15 to 20 million illegal aliens into this country, and now the American people after they saw the ramifications of that gave President Trump and Republicans a mandate to fix it,” said Rep. Crane.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Jan 13, 2026 | News
By Staff Reporter |
A former Tucson councilman’s pornographic and violent past has resurfaced again amid his newly launched state senate race.
Tucson Councilman Rocque Perez advocated for the harm and murder of his political opponents and promoted pornography in the years immediately leading up to his foray into politics. Perez has since deleted all of the incriminating posts.
AZ Free News covered Perez’s rhetoric in October. These posts were made in 2020, around the time that Perez was a student body senator for the University of Arizona.
Perez advised his friend to murder conservative family members:
“So kill them, do your duty baby girl,” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to murder a classmate defending President Donald Trump:
“This vapid white girl is defending Trump[’s] response to COVID in my Zoom public relations class, do I end her or do I end her,” posted Perez.
Perez called for the assassination of Ivanka Trump:
“Someone throw this b***h off the capitol building roof please,” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to assault Trump if given the opportunity.
“Honestly I would take one for the team and knock him out if I could,” posted Perez.
Perez also wished for Trump to die from COVID-19, in multiple posts.
Perez called for the assault of conservative activist and pundit Kaitlin Bennett:
“How has she not gotten beat yet? Like… hath no one the bravery to literally hurt her cause…?” posted Perez.
Perez threatened to stab Trump voters:
“Roses are red, violets are blue, vote for Joe Biden, or I’ll cut you,” posted Perez.
Although Perez has ceased posting the caliber of violent rhetoric of his past, his actions indicate that he still holds the sentiments that inspired those deleted posts.
On Friday, Perez participated in a vigil for Renée Nicole Good, the Minnesota woman and anti-ICE activist fatally shot by law enforcement after driving her car in the direction of an ICE agent.
Along with advocating for assault and murder, Perez posted pornographic videos and pictures to promote his OnlyFans account.
In one of the posts, Perez claimed he engaged in sexual activities with an unnamed male professor and was later solicited by the professor’s husband.
In another post made in March 2021, Perez claimed to have masturbated while at work at the University of Arizona.
“Guys I’m so horny I might jerk off somewhere at work, stay tuned,” posted Perez. “Update: loads of bro butter at work.”
Both Perez’s personal and porn accounts were public. As a result, at least one minor engaged with Perez’s work. The California Globe uncovered in a report that one minor at the time, now a staffer for Tucson Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz, engaged with Perez’s porn account.
Although his pornography was public and clearly visible to minors, Perez would go on to become executive director for a nonprofit directly involved with minors: the Metropolitan Education Commission (MEC), created by Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva. MEC advises and makes recommendations on K-12 education for all of Pima County.
Perez launched his state senate campaign in December, around when his six-month appointment to the Tucson City Council came to an end.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Dec 15, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05), a declared candidate for Arizona governor in 2026, has accused Tucson Mayor Regina Romero of encouraging obstruction of a federal law-enforcement operation after she posted on social media during active immigration enforcement last week.
In a post on X that drew hundreds of reactions, Biggs criticized Romero for alerting residents to the presence of a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation near Flowing Wells and Miracle Mile on the morning of Dec. 10.
“Unbelievable,” Biggs wrote. “Why is the mayor of Tucson encouraging obstruction of a lawful federal police operation? Could it be because she favors those who are illegally in the country over American citizens?”
Biggs’ post included a screenshot of a Facebook message Romero published during the operation. In the post, Romero told residents that federal agents were active in the Miracle Mile area and urged people to remain peaceful while protesting or documenting the activity.
“You have the right to protest and document these activities,” Romero wrote. “It is very important to remain peaceful while you do.”
Romero later defended the post in comments on KOLD News 13, saying the alert was intended to calm the situation and keep the community informed about ongoing immigration enforcement activity. “I just want to make sure that we don’t provoke any confrontations,” Romero said.
Reaction locally was mixed, with some residents praising transparency and others questioning whether publicly sharing the location of an active law enforcement operation could endanger agents or allow enforcement targets to evade arrest.
Video of Romero’s Facebook post and surrounding commentary circulated widely on social media, including a clip shared by Libs of TikTok, which amplified both the mayor’s message and Biggs’ criticism.
According to federal officials cited by local media, the Dec. 10 enforcement action involved executing a search warrant at a business park near Flowing Wells and Miracle Mile, which includes AG Trucking, as part of an investigation into alleged cabotage violations and unlawful labor practices.
The Dec. 10 action marked the second major federal enforcement operation in Tucson in less than a week.
On Dec. 5, HSI, working with IRS Criminal Investigation, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, and U.S. Border Patrol, executed 16 federal search warrants across southern Arizona, according to ICE. The coordinated operation targeted multiple Taco Giro restaurant locations, associated residences, and other properties as part of a multiyear investigation into a transnational criminal organization.
Federal authorities reported that 46 individuals were taken into custody on immigration-related allegations, along with two additional arrests connected to interference with law enforcement activity during the Dec. 5 operation.
Protests erupted outside a Taco Giro location at 610 N. Grande Ave., where demonstrators temporarily blocked federal agents inside a gated parking area using a bike lock. According to Fox News, agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and smoke grenades to disperse the crowd. Two HSI Special Response Team operators were injured during the incident, one suffering a ruptured bicep and another a knee injury.
The Tucson Police Department assisted with traffic control during the incident but did not deploy force, according to a statement cited by Tucson.com.
U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07) later claimed she was pepper-sprayed while attempting to gather information at the scene, referring to ICE as “a lawless agency under this Administration – operating with no transparency, no accountability, and open disregard for basic due process.”
Mayor Romero and Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz condemned the federal response, in statements to AZ Luminaria, describing the deployment of smoke grenades and pepper balls as a “disproportionate use of force” against protesters, including an elected member of Congress.
Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin stated, however, that Grijalva was in the vicinity of protesters who were obstructing officers, but was not directly targeted by federal agents.
She wrote in a post to X, “If her claims were true, this would be a medical marvel. But they’re not true. She wasn’t pepper sprayed. She was in the vicinity of someone who *was* pepper sprayed as they were obstructing and assaulting law enforcement. In fact, 2 law enforcement officers were seriously injured by this mob that @Rep_Grijalva joined. Presenting one’s self as a ‘Member of Congress’ doesn’t give you the right to obstruct law enforcement. More information forthcoming.”
Two protesters from the Dec. 5 incident, Sheryl Anna Rowe and Ryan Michael Seal, now face federal charges, according to KOLD. Rowe is charged with assault on a federal agent, while Seal faces charges related to damage to government property.
The raids led to temporary closures at seven Taco Giro locations as of Thursday. As of this report, no criminal charges have been announced in connection with either the Dec. 5 or Dec. 10 enforcement actions beyond the protest-related cases.
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Dec 5, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Despite the noble work of Republican lawmakers over the past five years to reduce the state’s burden on taxpayers (lowering and flattening the income tax, eliminating tax on renters, and addressing taxes on food,) cities and towns are constantly undermining this progress through rampant tax, fee, and utility rate increases.
Arizona’s affordability is being eroded through the insatiable tax-hungry decisions of city and town councils and their year-over-year spending sprees. If taxpayers have not noticed already, surely, they are feeling the pinch as these tax and fee hikes continue to stack one on top another. Red or blue, no city is immune, most likely your costs are going up…
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