Did Sen. Sinema 'condemn' guests in racist costumes during the wedding she officiated?

Elvia Díaz, Arizona Republic
·1 min read
U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) speaks at a meeting of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Aug. 4, 2021. Progressives' frustration with Sinema goes beyond Arizona voters.
U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) speaks at a meeting of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Aug. 4, 2021. Progressives' frustration with Sinema goes beyond Arizona voters.
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Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has no excuse. She officiated a wedding where some guests wore Native American costumes with full headdresses and paint.

Sinema’s spokesperson Hannah Hurley told the Arizona Daily Star that the senator “strongly condemns such behavior.”

“While the Senator knows the bride and groom, she does not know and did not interact with the wedding guests who wore disrespectful and racist costumes to the ceremony, and she strongly condemns such behavior,” Hurley told the Daily Star.

Sinema appears all smiles in a video posted on YouTube interacting and dancing with wedding guests in Bisbee over the weekend at what appears to be a small ceremony.

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While she may not have directly interacted with the guests wearing the Native American costumes, it seems impossible that she didn’t see them. She sure had plenty of opportunities to condemn racist behavior at the moment.

It’s unclear whether she talked to any of them. A message to Sinema’s spokesperson was not immediately returned.

Arizona is home to 22 Indigenous tribes with rich and unique traditions. Using their culture as costumes is beyond sickening.

Sinema has no excuse if she said nothing. None.

Elvia Díaz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or elvia.diaz@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kyrsten Sinema officiates a wedding where guests wore racist costumes