In light of recent hateful rhetoric directed toward the gay community of Eureka Springs, forgive me if my writing this week is somewhat influenced by recent and disturbing events.Locals are well aware of the discrimination against Diversity event promoters who were refused ad placement in a right leaning (waaay right) newspaper. Also during Diversity weekend everyone who ventured into Basin Park was subjected to screaming, so called preaching aimed at rallying «Christian soldiers» against the homosexual community and Diversity participants. It was a shameless display of hate.

My question is whether these bigots realize the contributions gays/lesbians have made to society throughout history, particularly in the arts in fields ranging from literature to paintings?

Bigots please pay attention.

There would be no «David» had it not been for the deft hands of gay Michelangelo and no beautiful Sistine Chapel ceiling either. Wouldn't it have been a shame to not have John Singer Sargent's beautiful portraits? We would have missed the beautiful illuminated works of Caraveggio if that gay man had never lived.

And egad if not for Shakespeare we would have missed out on the best plays ever penned as well as his sonnets. And more recently we would have a void in the realm of literature if not for homosexuals Gertrude Stein, Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Christopher Isherwood, and MANY others.

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(Eureka Springs, AR)--The first and only Domestic Partnership Registry in the Arkansas continues to attract couples from around the state and nation. Last week, 13 couples joined the registry, 12 of them on Friday, Nov. 2, opening day of the city's annual Fall Diversity Weekend.

Gay New Bureau paid the $35 application fee for three randomly-chosen couples: Leah Smith and Rebecca Brown, and Heather Hodges and Brandi Willingham, all of Claremore, OK, and Darci Bohneblust and Jolene Hickman of Riley, KS. To mark the occasion, the couples also received gift bags with top hats and veils from eurekapride.com, free weekend transportation from Eureka Springs Limousine and discounts from local merchants and inn keepers.

Birds of a Feather: Leah Smith and Rebecca Brown flank City Clek MJ Sell

Of the 13 couples, five came from Arkansas cities, including Rogers, Atkins, Waldron, Conway and Eureka Springs. Terry Francone and David Loe, new owners of the Tradewinds Motel in Eureka Springs registered as Domestic Partners a few days before the Fall Diversity Weekend.

The remaining eight couples came from Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Tennessee. The new registrants included 9 female couples, two male couples and one male/female couple.

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American style Magazine has available online the official ballot to select favorite art destination cities. In its class, Eureka Springs has been in the top twenty-five spots for the past two years. Please keep us on the list and help move up in ranking by voting at www.americanstyle.com.

American Style Magazine describes itself as « the nation's premier arts lifestyle magazine for art lovers, collectors and travelers». Therefore it is important for our town to stay prominent in the rankings as a desirable arts destination. Vote!

Eureka Springs will be featured in the February issue of the magazine that will hit the stands in January. The editor has been in contact with many Eurekans involved in the arts including gallery owners, artists, and festival organizers.

I have been talking with them about the White Street Studio Walk. It will be a wait and see as to who or what events will make the article. All are worthy and whatever the focus of the article might be, it is a boon to the art community and the town's tourist industry.

Rick and Iris Feutz of the «Iris At The Basin Park» gallery worked very hard with American Style to make the article happen. And to the amazement of the people at the mag, Rick working with the CAPC was able to get commitments from artists and gallery owners to purchase not one but two full pages of ads in the February issue. Buying ads in a national publication shows the dedication of locals to further our reputation as a world class arts center.

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Here's my bitch. And I don't mean Fred.

Here it is, the week before Fall Diversity Weekend, and I'm stuck in Kansas City. I can't go. Shit. I've canceled reservations and come to accept the fact I'll be here while I SHOULD be in Eureka Springs.Shit, shit, SHIT!

I suppose there are more important things to be pissed off about. I could focus on (in no particular order):

• global warming,
• why people who can't sing insist on going to the bar on karaoke night,
• the war in Iraq/Afghanistan,
• George Bush,
• dogs and cats without homes,
• the economy,
• people without homes,
• HIV disease,
• the housing market,
• pregnant teenagers,
• why new cars are so ridiculously expensive,
• male-pattern baldness,
• George Bush,

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Popularity: 5% [?]

No. 1. Pork (not the verb kind of pork)

My father called last week. «Yip, Super Fresh Groceries has pork loin on special. If I pick one up, will you cook it for me? You know, the way you did those pork chops the last time I was over?»

Yip: You mean with the marinade recipe Monika gave me?

Father: I guess so. I don't know what you did, but those were the best goddam pork chops I've had in years. Can you do that with a pork roast?

Y: I've never done it with a roast, but I don't know why it wouldn't work.

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Plus, money-saving offers from local businesses for new Domestic Partners

If you plan on taking advantage of the only Domestic Partnership Registry in Arkansas during your Diversity Weekend visit, let GayNewsBureau.com pick up the tab.

For the first three couples to register at city hall at specific times between October 31 and November 2, Gay News Bureau will pay the $35 application fee.

Here's how it works: Be the first in line at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, October 31 or Thursday, November 1 to get a Domestic Partnership certificate on us. Or, be the first in line on Friday, November 2 between 10 and noon.

Of course, if you can also finance your own nuptials any time during regular business hours (9:30 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Eureka Springs City Hall city clerk's office, 44 S. Main, in the lower level of the Western Carroll County Courthouse.

Either way, the thing to keep in mind is this: Domestic Partnership certificates are available only on weekdays, not on weekends. That's why we're encouraging love-dovey couples to start their Diversity Weekend on a weekday.

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It's autumn in the Ozarks, that glorious time of year when trees don their colorful gay apparel in preparation for Fall Diversity Weekend. As is traditional in the weeks leading up to every Diversity Weekend--particularly fall--the HSA (Homosexual Security Agency) division of Gay News has noted a sharp uptick in religious terrorism chatter.

The first thing that caught the attention of alert Gay News readers was a poll on the front page of Eureka's local right-wing newspaper. The question: «How do you feel about the efforts of Eureka Springs Mayor Dani Joy so far?»

Innocent question, no? Perfectly normal thing for a newspaper to ask: «How do you feel about the performance of an elected official?»

But, as Gay News readers (and practically everyone in Arkansas and neighboring states) knows--we're talking about our old friend Al, editor of the local right-wing newspaper, the minister (of some unspecified denomination) who prays daily that God will use an ungodly method to rid Eureka Springs of its large (and growing) queer population.

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Dear Jericho Riders:

Hey, dudes, thanks for the plug on, jerichoriders.org.

Back atcha, bros.

Surely, it was an oversight, but the gaynewsbureau.com link didn't, unfortunately, show up on Kevin B. Thompson's forum post. He must have intended to post it, because he said:

«There is a website link below, it is called Gay News Bureau. If you haven't looked at this website, I would suggest that you do. This particular page list all of the organized events that are going to happen in Eureka Springs, AR on diversity weekend. . . Of course, it does not list the Christian Rallies that will take place on both days.»

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After moving from their home at 16 White Street in 1991, photographer Richard Quick and his wife Pam were able to repurchase the building and return to the neighborhood in early 2006.

The Quicks this time chose to use the building not as a residence but as a studio gallery showcasing their works. They rejoined six other working artists on the street who maintain residences and studios, making the area one of the most heavily concentrated creative districts in Eureka Springs.

A former zoologist and curator of mammals for the Houston Zoological Gardens, Richard moved to Eureka Springs in 1980. He has been documenting with a camera this zoo of a town and its' human mammals since that time.

Quick began his work using a Minolta film camera but made the switch to digital in 2000. He shoots, edits, and prints his photographs giving him complete control over the product from start to finish. This control culminates in breathtaking and magical images.

Richard's photos go far beyond postcard snap and go shots of Eureka Springs and way beyond «portraiture» of locals. His images of architectural settings colorfully reveal the true flavor of the town and his shots of people reveal much more than their likeness.

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We haven't done an official tally lately, but the number of gay-owned businesses in Eureka Springs may have just breached the 50 barrier with the recent opening of two new retail shops. An old-favorite motel has new owners, too.

Glass Act

Fusion Squared, a suitably eclectic enterprise at 84 Spring St. (479-253-4999) features extraordinary fused-glass jewelry and decorative plates and bowls--along with chain-mail bracelets, necklaces, to-die-for tie-dyed tees and original drawings by Topeka, Kansas artist Chris Prouty.

Proprietors and artists-in-residence John Rinehart and John Jarrett happily abandoned corporate ships in Topeka to launch their new retail venture in Eureka Springs. «We had visited the town four or five times in the past, loved it and, well, the rest is history,» says Rinehart. The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Handy is Dandy

If you don't want to walk a mile for a Camel, check out the oh-so-conveniently-located Inn Convenience Store at 50 N. Main, so new the shelves are still being stocked. But the inventory includes all the critical convenience-store items, most importantly, cigarettes.

Equally vital, beer, wine and a coffee bar will soon materialize. An ATM machine is already in place. The joint-venture owners of the un-Seven Eleven are Harold Ellis, Ken Riley, Olin Karch, Steven Wilgus, Charlie Thomas and hands-on-hips himself, Alvin Byrd.

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