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:

Okay, I've seen it and I'd almost swear it was a Saturday Night Live segment from the days when SNL was actually funny. It begins with some boom-chicka-bow-bow music that sounds just like a bad porn. Then an ominous voice announces that the homosexuals (professional ones at that mind you) are on their way to your town.

They show a fierce-looking army of sorts donning pink cowboy hats in the Basin Park. They bring on a homosexual behavior scientist who announces that their studies indicate that gays tend to gravitate toward beautiful, pleasant places! Flip himself gives a brief history of the humusecksuals and how they followed the arts and music to Eureka in the 60's, but remained in their closets where they «did whatever it is they do» in the privacy of their own homes until November of 2006 when they apparently suddenly poured out of their homes to commit sex acts on the street!

Keep reading →

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.

Keep reading →

Today in 1584, January 7th marked the last day of the Bohemian calendar. Today, in 2008, Bohemia lives again. This time in the form of the most sought after cultural lifestyle. So today, we celebrate living in what is becoming a model creative class Bohemian city. Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

And a celebration it is. As news travels far and wider than a Republican stance, Eureka Bohemia Springs is just about bursting with glee over all the free advertising the American Family Ass..ociation or AFAss for short has bestowed upon us with their new movie..»They're Coming To Your Town»

A full color travelogue capturing images of Eureka and spreading the word that bigots of all flavors need to stay away from Eureka. Praise Jeezus, and Hail Mary, pass the clam dip and pour another round of devil juice. Absinthe for all!

All of this right on the ruby slippered heels of Out Traveler naming Eureka as one of the blue islands in red states. Press from coast to coast and beaming through on satellite radio too.

But in between celebrations and libations, I have given thought to why the local Chamber of Commerce, the City Ad Commission, and the local tourism cooperative (made up of what is supposed to be the brightest bulbs) hadn't grabbed all these God given miracles of free press to get with the program of other progressive cities and companies. Hell, this is a tourist town. They keep touting they want more tourists, but when handed golden eggs, they pretend to be like that monkey picture. They see nothing, they hear nothing, they say nothing. The bulbs are obviously low watts.

Keep reading →

The AFA is doing a fine job of promoting Eureka Springs, AR as the Gay Mecca of the South and, here at Gay News, we're delighted with the attention.

We couldn't hope for a better launch to the gay tourism season in Eureka Springs. There are too many online mentions to list, but here are a few of our favorites:

First, from Pandagon:

• New AFA hyperventilating Action Alert hawks DVD on 'homo invasion' of Arkansas town
  Is it just me, or has the homo-obsessed professional bible-beating set really ratcheted up the insanity over the last few weeks as the primaries approach?

No, it's not just you. We've noticed the same thing. Fortunately, insanity is Eureka's official mental state. The AFA's gay tourism initiative should buy a lot of sequins for Eureka Gras. Thanks for helping us tart up the parade route, AFA!

Keep reading →

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

Popularity: 45% [?]

2007 was a very good year for the arts in Eureka Springs with many events, new galleries, festivals, and great press that helped further the town's reputation as an art destination.

The Abetica gallery in Rogers promoted Eureka Springs by hosting two shows early in the year. A February show featured Al Hooks, Zeek Taylor, and Jason Feltrope. The gallery hosted a Eureka Springs group show in March featuring such notable locals as Denise Ryan and Mark Rademacher. Both receptions and shows were very well received.

May brought the Festival of the Arts that featured dozens of events. The festival kicked off with the highly anticipated artrageous parade on the first weekend. Saturday evening gallery receptions were held each week. During the month, Zarks once again brought Tim Cotterill, the Frogman, to town for what has become one of the most anticipated shows of the year.

On the third Friday in May thirty artists exhibited their work during the 17th annual White Street Studio Walk, one of the most heavily attended art events of the year. The weather was perfect and brought out huge crowds to attend the neighborhood event.

Monthly first Saturday gallery strolls kept the art scene in the forefront especially in June, July, and August. And once again many Eureka artists ventured outside of the city limits and participated in the annual Bentonville Art Walk held during June.

Keep reading →

There's a tavern a few blocks from my office that has a live band every Wednesday night. The girl singer is really, REALLY good. On those rare occasions when I have a few extra bucks in my pocket, I like to go listen to her. A couple of weeks ago I was in the mood for some good, live blues, so I went.

I was walking from the parking lot to the bar. There was an older couple in front of me, the woman apparently quite lame, limping badly, steadying herself with a cane. Her husband (I assumed it was her husband) was helping her along. As I got a little closer to them, «husband» turns around and says to me, «Go around us, young man, we're holding you up!»

«Oh, no you're not. That's ok.» I said. I looked directly at the «husband». It wasn't a man after all, but a woman dressed in a sport coat and slacks, and a drastically short haircut. I did a double-take, then held the door open for them to enter the bar. Wow. It's not often you see open lesbians in this area. Cool!

The little suburb where this bar is located has a reputation for being kind of redneck. Very redneck, actually. And the reputation is well deserved. A gay person in this town is – necessarily – in the closet, if they're smart. Things have changed a bit in the past several years, but this place is still stuck in 1958, or so it seems sometimes.

I may be wrong, but I think the straight community is more ready to accept lesbians than gay men. Why? Damned if I know. Anyway, I was thinking about this as I helped the two women into the tavern. They were showing a certain amount of courage coming to this redneck bar. Even though they were older, and not getting around too well, would they have to suffer through bigoted remarks from other bar patrons? Smirks and giggles from the wait staff? The regulars in this bar were 20 and 30-somethings, and possibly more open minded than the rest of the community, but if I were to wear the female equivalent (whatever it may be) of a sport coat and slacks, I'd no doubt get the shit beat out of me. I'd at the very least get some rude comments.

Keep reading →

*** UPDATED 1/31/08 - WEATHER CHANGES ***

Redirecting ....

Popularity: 24% [?]

The Rev. Phil Wilson's leather-clad posse, the Jericho Riders Christian Motorcyle Ministry, returns to town Jan. 4 for another sidewalk cardio workout. They call it a «prayer walk,» though how these bible thugs will be able to do two things at the same time remains to be seen.

It is not yet known whether Wilson will throw another party for them at his First Christian Church of Eureka Springs after they finish braying for divine intervention to keep the town «from worshiping of satan and other gods.»

The Gay News Bureau film crew will be on hand to gather footage for our upcoming video entitled, «Crap, They're Coming To Our Town--Again.»

Popularity: 23% [?]

The promotional trailer for the American Family Association's video bashing Eureka Springs, «They're Coming to Your Town,» has been unlocked for the first time in weeks on the AFA's website.

You can now see and hear the Rev. Phil Wilson of the First Christian Church of Eureka Springs shoot himself--and «faith-based» tourism--in the foot and mortify his congregation yet again here:

Movie Trailer

The KUAF/NPR radio program on the same topic, Ozarks at Large, is now available on podcast here:

Ozarks at Large Podcast

Oddly, Wilson, who hasn't stopped yammering about the conquest of Eureka Springs by «radical homosexuals» for going on eight months, declined to be interviewed for the radio show.

Keep reading →