The only Domestic Partnership Registry in Arkansas--and one of the few in the Mid-South region of the country--may soon be history, if one right-wing state legislator has his way.

But the City of Eureka Springs and DPR advocates, vow to vigorously oppose a move by Republican Arkansas State Rep. Bryan King to do away with it.

In only 22 months, 256 unmarried couples from 55 Arkansas communities and 14 other states have registered as domestic partners in Eureka Springs.

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After almost a year of anti-gay propaganda from American Family Association and assorted other homophobes, the Eureka Springs gay community is asserting itself in print and on-line.

While the AFA has done a fine job of advertising the city's gay charms--including the only Domestic Partnership Registry in Arkansas--it needed a little help reaching our target market--gay and lesbian travelers.

What began in December as an effort to persuade regional gay magazines to publish travel stories about Eureka Springs has produced substantial dividends:

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In the days leading up to and immediately following Spring Diversity Weekend (April 3-6), a dozen couples from five states--Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Missouri and even Florida--signed up for the Eureka Springs Domestic Partnership Registry.

That brings the total number of registrants to 342 individuals (or 171 couples) from Arkansas and 10 other states.

Collectively, they have--in just under 10 months--boosted city revenues by $5,985 by ponying up $35 per couple for a Domestic Partnership Certificate.

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While out of towners plan their Diversity Weekends months in advance, the event has a way of sneaking up on busy business owners. So this is a reminder.

Spring Diversity Weekend is this weekend, April 3-6.

The earliest scheduled events offer gay and gay-friendly business owners the opportunity to meet and mingle with and hand out their business cards to visitors who will be shopping downtown later--and in the months and years to come.

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Every day Eureka Springs neglects to market its off-beat charms to gay travelers--as well as its traditional demographic--it falls farther behind in its quest for a thriving tourist economy.

Why? Because competition for the rainbow dollar is becoming downright intense. Now, Pittsburgh, of all places, has launched a campaign to get a piece of the $65 BILLION gay and lesbian travel pie.

«Statistics tell us there is a lot of money to be had . . . ,» Beverly Morrow-Jones of Visit Pittsburgh told WTAE TV news yesterday. « . . . Just like everybody else, the gay and lesbian community wants to be welcomed,» she said.

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Eureka Springs is abuzz over the AFA's gay tourism promotion movie, «They're Coming to Your Town.» Sooner or later, someone will upload this stellar example of the cinematic arts to YouTube and everyone will get to see it--even if they're «not about to give those AFA bastards a dime!»

Here in Eureka Springs, Gay Mecca, the seething epicenter of cultural upheaval, Gay News invested the «suggested donation» of $14.95 in a copy of, «They're Coming to Your Town.» (We wanted to «suggest» a different «donation» but the shopping cart wouldn't let us. Go figure.)

Local citizens have been gathering to watch--and point and snicker at the movie. This critique, our favorite from Eureka's discussion forum, will give you an idea of the community reaction:

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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.

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This just in from the American Family Association, the best ad agency Eureka Springs has ever had: It's the AFA Action Alert announcing the AFA's new movie about Eureka Springs, «They're Coming to Your Town.» If «they» weren't coming to our town before the AFA sent its action alert to its, «3,346,317 supporters strong and growing,» well... it looks like they'll be coming now. Thanks for the free advertising and a great launch to the tourist season, AFA! Keep up the good work.

Click to see the whole thing

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In addition to a bundle of Christmas cards, yesterday's mail brought a large envelope with this message on the front:

«You've been chosen to receive a free 1-year subscription, compliments of American Airlines. However, if would like to cancel these free copies, Just call . . . «

As I cradled the phone betwixt shoulder and ear, waiting for a robotic operator and thinking I could do without a self-serving travel magazine, I opened the plain-white wrapper and out flopped . . .

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Jacqueline Froelich, radio journalist from KUAF in Fayetteville, asked me last week what I thought about the American Family Association's new video featuring Eureka Springs and entitled «They're Coming to Your Town.»

«I give it two thumbs down for the title alone,» I said. «It should have been «They're Already IN Your Town, Stupid.»

As sound bites go, it was decent. And, probably, I should have just left it at that. But under Froelich's intense questioning, I blurted out the entire gay agenda for the total domination of Eureka Springs.

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