Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1998 17:40:00 -0700 (PDT) From: Ron Buckmire Subject: qrd/usa/arkansas Date: Fri, 17 Jul 1998 21:37:03 -0400 To: kenslist@QueerNet.ORG From: Kenneth Sherrill Subject: Anti-Gay Extremism in Arkansas Yahoo! News Community Headlines Friday July 17 7:55 PM ET Anti-Gay Extremism in AR At a Christian Coalition meeting, an Arkansas mayoral candidate vowed to post a "No fags in Springdale" sign at the city limits, with an armed citizenry and a voluntary militia to back it up (no, we are not making this up!). While numerous election campaigns around the U.S. are already featuring anti-gay elements, the race for mayor of Springdale, Arkansas offers an extreme instance of how far a candidate will go in telling the Christian Coalition what he thinks it wants to hear. The first debate among candidates for the open seat was held this week before members of the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the Christian Coalition. In response to questioning, all five candidates said they would not support anything like neighboring Fayetteville's controversial recent Human Dignity resolution against job discrimination based on sexual orientation in city employment. That declaration was the first of its kind in Arkansas, and survived a mayoral veto only to now face a repeal initiative on the November ballot. The reasons the candidates gave for their positions differed widely. Alderman Wayne Vanhook (who has still not formally declared his candidacy) simply took a stand against making any changes whatever in city personnel policies. State Representative Louis McJunkin held that state and federal laws already provided protection from discrimination which the city couldn't override (but in fact sexual orientation is covered by neither federal nor Arkansas civil rights laws). Candidate Eddie Thomas warned of a snowball effect in protecting a growing number of categories from discrimination, questioning if it would be fair to protect gays and lesbians without also protecting smokers and alcoholics. Former Alderman Ray Dotson didn't elaborate on his stance. However, candidate Timothy Hill went much, much farther, to the first applause of the evening and several other expressions of enthusiasm. "Homosexuals are perverts," he declared. "This is a Christian nation. To put up with perversion like that, you're willing to put up with anything. They've spread their disease worldwide...." he said, adding "I will do everything I can to keep them out of Springdale, including enforcing the sodomy law." The candidate then promised to post a sign at the city limits saying, "No fags in Springdale." Another sign he'd like to see would read, "Welcome to Springdale: Home of God-fearing, armed Christian citizens." Hill believes that with an armed citizenry and the creation of a voluntary militia, the police force could be cut in half at a cost savings. The candidates other than Vanhook also agreed that they would find some way to keep "adult" businesses out of town, and vied with each other in their disapprobation of the American Civil Liberties Union. The specific question referred to lawsuits against Christmas displays on government sites, as a possible violation of the Constitutional principal of separation of church and state. Hill admitted to not knowing much about the ACLU, but knowing that they supported civil rights for gays and lesbians and leadership positions for women, he was prepared to oppose them. Vanhook called for the help of the Christian Coalition and the Rutherford Institute in the "need to combat the ACLU." Dotson said, "We need to fight them to the hilt if they come into our schools. We are a God-fearing nation." ********** To unsubscribe, send mail to majordomo@queernet.org; put a line saying unsubscribe kenslist in the body. (This may fail if your address has changed since you signed up; if so, or for other assistance, contact kenslist-approval@queernet.org.)