LOOKOUT Publications

We want your voice! Help LOOKOUT create an A.I. ethics policy that is built by community!

Submissions will be taken through August 15, with a report of the results released by the end of August. Afterwards, we will draft out an ethics policy that reflects the community's current concerns, suggestions, and hard-lines. Want to be part of the solution? Then make your voice heard!

Community A.I. Use Survey A.I. is becoming part of how newsrooms work, from analyzing thousands of documents to making journalism more accessible. But just because we can use A.I. doesn't always mean we should. As a community newsroom, LOOKOUT wants our readers to help us think through where A.I. belongs in our journalism—...

Our expansion beyond Arizona is gaining more attention! We were featured in Harvard's Nieman Journalism Lab this week, with multiple people across Arizona and Colorado excited to see what we've got coming!

https://www.niemanlab.org/2026/07/lgbtq-outlet-lookout-aims-to-expand-throughout-the-southwest-and-beyond/

A trans woman says she was strapped into a wheelchair, handcuffed and questioned for hours inside an Arizona immigration detention center.

Genesis, a 25-year-old trans woman from Nicaragua, has been detained for five months at Eloy Detention Center, where she is being held in the men’s unit.

According to U.S. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, Genesis said the incident happened after someone accused her of soliciting s*x — an allegation she believes was discriminatory because she is transgender. She told Ansari the entire incident took place on camera.

The account has not previously been publicly reported.

It comes as 120 people detained at Eloy recently signed a letter alleging human rights abuses, including prolonged solitary confinement, poor food and drinking water, and extreme temperatures.

LOOKOUT spoke with Ansari about what she saw during her 11 visits to Arizona detention facilities — and what she says needs to change.

Read the full story: https://www.lookoutnews.org/a-trans-woman-says-she-was-handcuffed-to-a-wheelchair-at-an-arizona-immigration-camp/

Medical support is a critical asset for any event expecting thousands of attendees, and when politically charged crowds gather in spaces not built for public events, safety issues compound. Shade is inadequate. Water is crowd-sourced. There is nowhere to sit.

To the healthy and able-bodied, these can be inconveniences, but since today’s Valley protesters appear to skew older, it makes those seemingly small problems more serious for participants.

On the Front Lines With Valley Street Medics Volunteer teams are providing care at protests where heat, age and political tension collide.

Arizona State University’s DragU Downtown event returned to campus last month after being canceled 48 hours before showtime a year earlier. The cancellation cited incomplete paperwork and a lack of security. It came as the federal government was in the early stages of pressuring public universities to cut diversity, equity and inclusion-related initiatives, with threats to funding if institutions did not comply.

DragU Downtown Returns, and So Does the Crowd Following a controversial 2025 cancellation, Arizona State University’s drag education event came back to the downtown Phoenix campus this spring, reclaiming a space for performance, learning and LGBTQ+ community.

Olla Olla Crepes is a family-run restaurant specializing in crepes with a Mexican twist. By night, the shop transforms into a DIY music venue, giving local and touring bands a platform and building community.

At This Phoenix Crepe Shop, Politics Are Always on the Menu The family-run Olla Olla Crepes turned its downtown space into a music venue and mutual aid hub

Last week, LOOKOUT was recognized with four national journalism awards from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia—one of North America's top honors for independent journalism.

First Place – Excellence in Journalism (Under the Badge by Celina Jimenez)
First Place – LGBTQ+ Coverage (Tori Gantz)
First Place – Newsletter (Eyes on the State)
Third Place – LGBTQ+ Coverage (Escaping Arizona by Joseph Darius Jaafari and Ellie Samsel)

Our founder and editor-in-chief, Joseph Darius Jaafari, was also honored with the Spirit of AAN Award for his leadership in independent journalism.

What means the most are the judges' words. They described our work as "remarkable, enterprise-driven," called Eyes on the State "essential reading," and said Under the Badge is "the sort of reporting that should drive awareness and change."

We started LOOKOUT because LGBTQ+ communities deserve journalism that holds power accountable and serves our neighbors. These awards belong to everyone who shared their story, read our reporting, became a member or donated to keep this work alive.

Thank you for believing in us!

LOOKOUT Wins Big in Palm Springs In its second year of eligibility, LOOKOUT won four national journalism awards, while its Editor-in-Chief Joseph Darius Jaafari was honored with a Spirit of AAN Award

A new bill signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs makes “interfering with a religious service or religious activity” a public offense potentially worthy of a felony.

Religious Service Interruption Bills Signed Into Law Despite HB 4117’s exceptions for peaceful protest, its opponents and even some supporters are worried the bill could cause a free speech chilling effect.

Immigrants who have spent years navigating legal pathways to remain in the United States are finding those same applications used against them, including U visa holders, DACA recipients and abused children seeking legal status.

DACA Recipients and U Visa Holders Face New Deportation Risks As federal officials increase scrutiny of humanitarian programs, immigrants with U visas, DACA and other protections face new uncertainty.

The Arizona State Liquor Board spent nearly eight hours debating cruising, leather culture, s*x, kink and q***r spaces. But when it came time to decide whether Barracks Phoenix could open its doors, the issue wasn’t the controversy that dominated the hearing. It was paperwork. Read the full story: https://www.lookoutnews.org/q***r-culture-was-debated-for-eight-hours-in-liquor-board-hearing/