Once again, LGBT pressure groups are demanding the NFL withdraw a future Super Bowl from Arizona. They’ve done this before, in 2014, when they buffaloed then Gov. Jan Brewer into vetoing a religious freedom bill to save the state’s Super Bowl revenue.
The NFL previously awarded Super Bowl 57 to Arizona, and the alphabet folks hope to use the same game plan to torpedo new legislation designed to protect children and the integrity of women’s sports.
This year, the Republican-dominated Arizona Legislature passed bills banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports and preventing minors from undergoing so-called gender-altering surgery. LGBT anger and threats flared up over this legislation, too – using Super Bowl 57 for leverage.
Jeremy Helfgot, a spokesman for Phoenix Pride, said, "The ultimate goal of this effort I think is to see these laws reversed and send a really loud message policy like this isn't going to be tolerated in the state of Arizona.
"There is a lot of economic power being brought to bear and it's a powerful message. But the message remains the same, these laws are toxic and they need to go.”
Related: Kentucky Passes Bill To Protect Women's Sports
In February, a group of liberal faith leaders also called on the NFL to withdraw the 2023 Super Bowl from Arizona over election reform. The rabidly-Left Arizona Republic claimed then that the “GOP-controlled Legislature leveled attacks on voter rights, but they’ve also declared war on women, particularly rape and incest victims, as well vulnerable transgender children and their families.”
LGBT propagandists falsely claimed in 2014 that Senate Bill 1062 would legalize discrimination. Gov. Brewer went wobbly when the NFL threatened to pull the 2015 Super Bowl from Arizona. Delta Airlines and Major League Baseball also threatened repercussions if the bill became law. People on the Left mischaracterized that bill as one that could prevent homosexuals from being served in restaurants, among other ridiculous falsehoods.
Conservatives argued that the governor vetoed a bill that did not exist. SB 1062 would have helped businesses defend themselves and their religious freedom against discrimination claims.
The 2015 Super Bowl was held in Arizona and the state reaped $719.4 million in resulting revenue. The NFL has not responded to the latest LGBT power move.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has responded, saying: "We couldn't be more excited for the Super Bowl coming to Arizona next year. The most-watched sporting event of all time is a chance to put our state on full display for the rest of the country. But it's more than just a boost to our visibility. The Super Bowl's economic benefits to businesses large and small are tremendous. It makes no sense why anyone would want to deny Arizonans an opportunity like this."
Gov. Ducey’s track record on this kind of pressure is far better than that of his predecessor, Gov. Brewer. A year ago this week, he said Arizona would not be blackmailed Georgia-style over his state’s election reform laws. He said then that he would not be blackmailed, he wanted to keep politics out of baseball (MLB had withdrawn the 2021 all-star game from Georgia over election reforms there) and if good legislation is presented to him, he will sign it.