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• Defunding Drag Events: In 2023, Keshel voted in favor of Senate Bill 1026, which aimed to prohibit any entity receiving government funding from hosting drag events targeted at minors. During the committee hearings, she publicly stated her stance, asserting, “In my opinion, drag shows are for adults.”  (ref)

• Criminalizing Drag in Front of Minors: She has consistently backed sweeping Republican efforts—such as House Bill 2589—to make it a felony to perform in drag or allow a minor to attend a drag show, measures that LGBTQIA+ groups argue are designed to ostracize their community and criminalize free expression.  (ref 1)  (ref 2)

• Domestic Violence Shelter Exemptions: In 2023, Keshel co-sponsored House Bill 2333 alongside Senator Justine Wadsack. The bill aimed to protect domestic violence shelters from discrimination claims if they excluded individuals based on biological sex, which critics argued was explicitly written to exclude transgender women from accessing safe housing.  (ref)

• School and Public Facility Bans: She has supported broader Arizona Freedom Caucus priorities, including bills aimed at restricting transgender students' pronoun use, mandating bathroom access based strictly on biological sex, and restricting transgender athletes from participating in sports teams aligned with their gender identity.  (ref 1)  (ref 2)  (ref 3)

• Sponsoring the Bill: In 2025, Keshel sponsored House Bill 2438, which sought to completely prohibit transgender individuals born in Arizona from amending the gender marker on their birth certificates.  (ref)

• Arguments Used: Keshel argued the bill was necessary to align with the U.S. Constitution and protect vital records. Opponents explicitly condemned the bill as a direct attempt to erase transgender and non-binary identities. The Arizona House of Representatives approved the bill along party lines.  (ref 1)  (ref 2)

• Restricting Pronoun Use (SB 1001): Keshel voted in favor of Senate Bill 1001, a measure designed to make it illegal for teachers and school staff to use a transgender or non-binary student's preferred pronouns unless they have written parental permission.  (ref)

• Exposing Affirming Schools to Lawsuits (SB 1005): She backed legislation that allowed parents to sue school districts if employees provided supportive or gender-affirming spaces for LGBTQIA+ students without parental notification.

• School Facility Bans (SB 1040): She voted to pass Senate Bill 1040, which banned transgender students and school employees from using school restrooms or changing facilities that match their gender identity. The bill also gave cisgender individuals the right to sue the school if they shared a restroom with a transgender person.

• Parental Bill of Rights (SCR 1025): Keshel co-sponsored Senate Concurrent Resolution 1025. This resolution sought to add a "Parental Bill of Rights" to the Arizona Constitution. LGBTQIA+ advocacy groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, opposed it because it allowed parents to withdraw their children from any curriculum or instruction touching on LGBTQIA+ topics or history, effectively curbing inclusive education.  (ref 1)  (ref 2)

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• The Incident: In 2026, Keshel and her husband, Seth Keshel (a prominent election conspiracy theorist), filed an injunction against harassment against a Scottsdale resident they believed was behind an anonymous X account trolling them.

• The Controversy: The anonymous account had been questioning whether Keshel legally resided within the legislative district she represents, noting that her husband’s home is located outside of District 17.  (ref)

• The Outcome: A Pima County Superior Court judge dismissed the case, ruling that the Keshels completely failed to prove the man they targeted was actually the online critic. The wrongly targeted individual had to spend $5,000 to defend himself and publicly threatened to seek financial reimbursement from the couple.  (ref 1)  (ref 2)

• The Incident: In early 2025, Keshel faced backlash for writing a highly unusual letter to Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Charlene Jackson regarding pending family court cases.  (ref)

• The Controversy: Keshel threatened to initiate a legislative investigation against Judge Jackson if the judge did not answer questions about her active custody rulings. Legal critics and ethics advocates slammed the move as a highly inappropriate violation of the separation of powers and an attempt by a lawmaker to politically pressure the judiciary.

• The Incident: During her competitive 2024 re-election campaign, Keshel launched a multi-day social media firestorm spreading unproven claims of mass voter fraud.  (ref)

• The Controversy: She publicly posted that "it's about time that the people fight back" to prevent a "2020 2.0," accused the U.S. Postal Service of intentionally shredding ballots, and posted a direct warning to local election workers stating, "when Trump wins... you cheating traitors are finally going down." Non-partisan election integrity groups heavily condemned the statements for inciting threats against election staff.  (ref)

• The Incident: In November 2025, Keshel and fellow Freedom Caucus members led a viral online campaign targeting math teachers at Cienega High School in Vail, Arizona.  (ref)

• The Controversy: The teachers wore standard, commercially available "Problem Solved" math-themed t-shirts with fake blood splatters for Halloween. Keshel and right-wing internet influencers falsely claimed the shirts were a political message mocking the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.  (ref 1)  (ref 2)  (ref 3)

• The Outcome: Even though the school district proved the teachers had worn the exact same math-themed shirts the prior year—long before any political news regarding Kirk—the controversy triggered massive security fears, resulting in over 3,000 hateful messages and death threats directed at the teachers, forcing sheriff’s deputies to patrol the school campus.  (ref 1)  (ref 2)