Wow. All we can say is WOW !

First, we'd like to thank the Academy..whoops, wrong organization. We'd like to thank the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Eureka Springs City Advertising and Promotion Commission (CAPC), the tourism CO-OP headed up by the guru general manager of Eureka's Historic Hotels, Rev Phillip aka Flip Wilson, Rev. Vernon Payne, Randy Wolfinbarger of the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks, Marvin Peterson of the Great Passion Play (the Jesus story thing, not the gay men's board game).

Most of all, we would like to thank the American Family Association (AFA) for their generous donation of time, money, and endless never-ending hate of homosexuals to produce a full color, 28 minute (with lots of pretty pictures of Eureka Springs) travelogue movie about how Eureka Springs is being overrun with gays, lesbians, bi's, trans, and their friends and families. It's the greatest gay tourism promotion video we've ever seen.

Our further thanks go to the AFA computer wizards who are graciously sending millions of emails to their members alerting them of the new gay Mecca of the South. Look out San Francisco, we are the new queer playground!

Little did we know last May when we sent some emails to the General Manager/VP of operations of the Basin Park and Crescent Hotels in hopes that he would use his influence, his vast wisdom, his incredible savvy to alert his minions of tourism professionals of the impending bad press that could be construed if they («they» being the Big 6 businesses in town) didn't take the bull by the horns and control the message that a couple of the good Reverend Fundies were putting out there.

When we warned him the results could be damaging to Eureka's tourism business, after the passage of a Domestic Partnership Registry that took effect in June 2007, well... we just didn't realize how creative he could be. How utterly committed he was to making sure that the AFA had every piece of information they needed to make this fabulous travelogue on Eureka Springs!

You can read our pitiful correspondence here: Pitiful Emails. My goodness, all we were trying to do was to be helpful in a situation as to not have it impact the good Christian businesses of Eureka Springs in order for bus loads of polyester draped lemmings to continue to travel here to eat at bad buffets, sleep 10 to a room and witness the Jesus show.

But, golly gee, we had no idea we were in the presence of such PROFESSIONALS in tourism marketing. Praise Jesus! God surely is watching over us gays, lesbians, bi, trans, and their followers who were simply blessed, hallelujah! I say we're blessed to have you and your friends do such fantastic job of helping to direct the American Family Association in the making of their movie «They're Coming To Your Town»

Mr. «Big Jesus » Marvin explains that if folks go out to the Passion Play, they will be instructed on where bigots are still welcome and which businesses they own. He goes on to say bigots will be safe if they stay out of certain «segments» of town. We can only assume a map is in production and will be ready soon.

We were especially impressed that viewing it with several reviewers that the AFA seems to have used real people actors in their speaking roles--real live Eureka Springs locals and tourism professionals whom, we assume, are also graduates of one of the AFA's recommended EX-Gay courses. We think it's pretty special these guys have gone on to lead socially acceptable, married to women for professional purposes lives.

One quick question though: How long does it take after someone becomes an ex-gay for them to lose the lisp? Besides bigotry, it seemed the only thing the fine men have in common..and it was just so darned obvious..probably an audio thing in production. No biggy.

So, while we were a bit shocked that the tourism professionals took time from their busy schedules to help the AFA, we surely are grateful and we will certainly do our part to help get the word far and wide. My goodness, we certainly can't expect, after all your months of effort in getting this movie produced and distributed, for you to keep using your resources to reach the masses.

It's time for us to get busy. You have bestowed such a wonderful gift and kick-off to the new tourist, travel, and relocation season. We only hope that we can be as professional as you have been and our efforts shine as brightly.

In closing, yes, we thank the CAPC, the Chamber of Commerce, the Eureka Springs Tourism task force gurus. We'll make sure we get the names of the businesses portrayed in the movie on a map and please let us express our condolences that the the AFA didn't have enough space to highlight the Basin Park and Crescent Hotels visually after all the work their general manager did in getting the word out to whomever finally got with the AFA.

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