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Weekly Policy Postcard - 11/01/2025

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When Rights Are Threatened, We Organize


Across Arizona, familiar patterns are reemerging—old fears in new forms. In Peoria, the school board is moving to ban Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. In Gilbert, a handful of parents tried to revive book bans that would silence queer and BIPOC voices. These attacks aren’t isolated; they’re part of a national movement to roll back hard-won rights and reframe inclusion as something dangerous.


But history reminds us: we’ve been here before. Queer people have survived criminalization, censorship, and erasure not by hiding, but by organizing. Each generation has built networks of care and resistance that turn fear into collective power. This moment asks the same of us now.


Show up. Speak out. Stand together. Whether you testify at a board meeting, support a librarian, or mentor a student, your presence matters. Our communities have never won by staying quiet and we won’t start now.



🏫 School Board Action


The Peoria Unified School District board will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 12 at 6:00 PM at 6330 W. Thunderbird Rd., Glendale, AZ 85306.


The proposed policy to ban Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs is expected to move toward final adoption.



If you wish to speak against this harmful policy, please arrive early and sign up to speak starting at 5:00 PM. Every voice matters.


You can also show up in solidarity to fill the room and stand with educators, families, and students who believe in inclusion for all. Bring a sign, bring a friend, and help show that our community supports welcoming schools.


Need help preparing your remarks? Email policy@justschools.org for talking points and support.



Community Pushback Against Book Bans in Gilbert Schools


At the October 28th meeting of the Gilbert Unified School District Governing Board, community members showed up in response to reports that a small group of parents planned to ask the board to remove certain books from school libraries. While two community members did email the board with comments (which were not read allowed), no such request was ultimately made during the meeting. But, two speakers—Isabelle Guzman and Liz Costanzo Lee, a local parent and librarian—used public comment time to urge the district to keep books accessible to all students. They spoke powerfully against censorship, reminding the board that most book challenges nationwide target authors of color and LGBTQ+ stories, and that removing those books silences students’ experiences rather than protecting them. 




👉  Take Action In Your School District


Apply to become a Just Schools Hall Monitor and help track what’s happening in your district. We’ll train you to spot red flags, understand policy decisions, and share reports that strengthen our collective advocacy for inclusive, well-funded schools.





🌈 Feature Article


✊ We Were Once Illegal. We Can Do It Again.


For much of history, being queer was treated as a crime. Laws named our bodies unlawful, courts called desire a disease, and police raids closed the few doors where we could gather. Survival meant secrecy, and community meant defiance. The rights we now hold, including decriminalization, marriage equality, and workplace protections, were won through protest, organizing, and the refusal to disappear. But progress is never permanent. The same systems that once criminalized queer lives now reappear through new restrictions on gender identity, limits on care, and attacks on transgender youth. These regressions are deliberate, fueled by movements that exploit fear and uphold inequality. Solidarity is our defense. Supporting queer-led groups, funding legal aid, and protecting youth in schools strengthen our resistance. We were once illegal. That truth should not discourage us; it should remind us that resistance works. When rights are threatened, we organize, protect each other, and live freely anyway.




🗳️ Civic Engagement: Local Elections


📬 Maricopa County voters: Ballots for the all-mail election were mailed Oct. 8 and should have been returned by Oct. 28.

🗳️ Today, Nov. 1, is the last day to vote early in person. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4.

This election includes local bond measures that fund hospitals, schools, and other essential services. Bonds are community investments—loans repaid with tax dollars that determine whether our neighborhoods have what they need to thrive.



🧾 Civic Literacy: Discrimination & Harassment Complaint Form


Queer students continue to face discrimination, slurs, and harassment from peers and even faculty. That’s not “part of growing up.” It’s unlawful and preventable.

Documenting these incidents matters. Each report ensures state officials can’t ignore the problem. Bullying and discrimination harm students’ education, mental health, and safety.



📰 In the News





💪 Stand With Students


Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and seen at school. Your involvement, whether as a Hall Monitor, volunteer, or donor – keeps that promise alive. Get involved today!



 
 
 

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