Written by Eureka Springs, AR has been added to the list of cities to be visited by the Human Rights Campaign’s “equality bus” which over the course of 12 weeks will stop in 17 cities in 11 states and the District of Columbia. The purpose of the tour is to promote equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.
The bus will arrive on Sunday, September 18. Open to the public, the bus and its accompanying exhibits will be at the Carroll County courthouse at 44 S. Main St. from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Originally, only Little Rock was on the advocacy group’s Arkansas itinerary. But a successful, eleventh-hour e-mail campaign by the town’s residents convinced the HRC to add Eureka Springs to the tour schedule. “We all agreed that a stop in Eureka Springs made sense,” said an HRC official in Washington, DC.
“Our argument was that Eureka Springs is the only city in Arkansas to have made substantial gains in the realm of civil rights for gay people,” said Michael Walsh, author of a 2007 city law establishing the state’s first and only Domestic Partnership Registry.
In addition to a municipal non-discrimination employment policy, Eureka Springs is the only city in Arkansas to provide access to health insurance for the domestic partners of city workers. Also, a family medical leave policy allows municipal workers to take time off to care for ailing domestic partners or children.
In the wake of the HRC’s decision to re-route the equality bus to Eureka Springs, other community groups have joined forces to create an Equality Weekend September 16-18.
“Equality under the law for all American citizens is something everybody can support,” said local businessman and event coordinator John Jarrett. “We now have a variety of equality-themed events scheduled for before, during and after the arrival of the Equality Bus.”
Planned events include a performance by local drummers, an art exhibit, the showing of two documentary films, a parade, a pub crawl and an “Equality In Print” reading program by the Eureka Springs public library.
A full events schedule will be available soon.
- The planned events on Saturday, September 17 include:
- Drumming for Equality, September 17, 6 p.m. at the Drum Attic at the Art Colony 185 North Main.
- Equality in Print, Carnegie Library, 194 Spring St.
- Equality in Film: Two documentaries, Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church 17 Elk St., 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
- On Sunday, September 18 follow the Eureka Springs Equality Trail:
- Equality Walking Parade, 12:15-1 p.m., from Eureka Springs post office to the Carroll County Courthouse, 44 S. Main.
- On the Road to Equality Open House, exhibits and photo and video booths: Human Rights Campaign, 1-5 p.m., Carroll County Courthouse, 44 S. Main.
- Equality Pub Crawl, 4:30 p.m. from The Cat House to Chelsea’s (also Squid & Whale, Henri’s Just One More and Eureka Live). Sponsored by Every Tourist Counts.
- The Art of Equality art show/exhibition 6-8 p.m. by Eureka Springs artists at The Space, 2 Pine St.
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