Monday was the last day that lawmakers in the Arkansas Legislature could file bills for consideration in this session.
Among the dozens that were slipped in at the last moment was this little gem: A bill by Rep. Brian King, R-Green Forest, to ban domestic partnership registries in the state. King’s district includes Eureka Springs, which enacted a partner registry in 2007 to recognize unmarried couples, both gay and straight.
Do we have any Instant Tea readers in Arkansas? If so, ya’ll might want to get on the phones and start calling those folks in Little Rock to see if you can’t kill this bill.
Not to worry. Here in the “San Francisco of Arkansas,” we’re not going down without a fight. Eureka Springs has the one and only Domestic Partnership Registry in the state and we intend to keep it. We also have a gay population bordering on 20 percent, 50-60 gay-owned businesses (motels, B&Bs, restaurants), twice that many gay-friendly ones and 3-4 Diversity Weekends a year (one gay-pride day just ain’t enough here).
Dubbed “the most homosexual city in the South” by one local preacher, we get lots of GLBT visitors from Texas. Some of them have Domestic Partnership certificates a souvenirs of the time they spent here. So do GLBT visitors from 14 other states. As a vacation destination, it just doesn’t get any gay-friendlier than Eureka Springs.
But, as you point out, the fly in the ointment is State Rep. Bryan King. As Texans you know how it works: You want to run for higher office, just play the GAY card, rile up the fundies and the campaign contributions flood in.
But Eureka Springs doesn’t much cotton to pay-for-play politicians. This is the most liberal, diverse, eclectic, exotic and cantankerous tourist town in the state, an island of queer enlightenment. So, we’re going toe-to-toe with homophobic elected officials and calling them out whenever we get the chance.
Seriously, though, we could use your help. Because we’re a GLBT vacation destination, elected officials pay very close attention to the views expressed by prospective tourists. If you want to give us a hand and keep one of the few Domestic Partnership Registries in the South alive, give our mayor, Ms. Dani Joy, some ammunition. E-mail her at mayor@cityofeurekasprings.org to express your support or your outrage at State Rep. Bryan King’s gay-unfriendly plan to ban DPRs in Arkansas. Really, all it takes is one or two sentences and a coupla clicks of the mouse. Believe me, your voices will be heard.
Thanks, neighbors. And come see us this summer–we’ll show you a good time.
Michael Walsh
Chairman, Save The DPR