ARKANSAS: LGBT Groups Issue Last Minute Veto Plea To Governor

Two weeks ago the Arkansas legislature approved a bill that would ban any municipality from enacting LGBT anti-discrimination ordinances. Without a veto from Gov. Asa Hutchinson, that law goes into effect tomorrow. Yesterday Lambda Legal, the ACLU, GLAD, and the NCLR issued a last-minute plea to Hutchinson.

SB 202 was passed to thwart cities like Fayetteville and Eureka Springs that recently have enacted sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination protections. So if Governor Hutchinson allows this bill to take effect, it will amount to a giant, flashing “Gays Stay Away” sign. It will block sincere local efforts to show that Arkansas communities are welcoming places beckoning talent, innovation and workforce diversity. It will do precisely what Arizona’s Governor Brewer decided to avoid last year when she vetoed that state’s “discrimination as religion” bill.

Recalling Colorado's fatally flawed Amendment 2, which years ago explicitly targeted lesbians, gay men and bisexuals (and not heterosexuals), many are asking whether SB 202 is a similarly unconstitutional denial of equal protection. When the Supreme Court struck down Amendment 2 in Romer v. Evans, it underscored that the case record revealed anti-gay "animus" propelling the popular vote and no legitimate government reasons for precluding local nondiscrimination protections for LGBT people, and for no one else.

It is that manifest and dangerously discriminatory purpose that causes so many to call out the equal protection problem at the heart of SB 202. Every lawmaker who voted for this bill has taken an oath to uphold both the Arkansas Constitution and the United States Constitution. Both charters contain equal protection guarantees. Governor Hutchinson has taken that oath as well. He also has pledged to shepherd the State's economy. We call on him to honor both commitments by vetoing SB 202.

ARKANSAS: Bill To Ban All LGBT Rights Laws Heads To Governor's Desk

Via Buzzfeed:

The Arkansas legislature gave its final thumbs-up Friday to a bill that would block cities and counties from enacting antidiscrimination laws that protect LGBT people. The Arkansas House of Representatives voted decisively, 57-20, for SB202, with seven members voting present. Having already cleared the state Senate Monday, the bill now heads to Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is not expected to veto the legislation. The bill’s sponsor, Republican State Sen. Bart Hester [photo], told BuzzFeed News this week that he sponsored the measure to create consistent policies across Arkansas that will attract business, and because he was infuriated that cities were attempting to expand civil rights laws for LGBT people. “This bill creates uniformity for business, and citizens for that matter, so that our employment laws will be the same throughout the state,” Republican Rep. Bob Ballinger, the bill’s House sponsor, said before today’s vote on the House floor. “There are some things on a statewide basis we deal with all the time, such as murder and fraud — a variety of things that need to be uniform,” he said.

Fayetteville's LGBT rights ordinance was repealed in December following a vicious campaign by the Family Research Council and the Duggar family. Early this week the popular LGBT destination of Eureka Springs hastily approved a sweeping rights bill, becoming the only municipality in the state with such a law on the books. GOP members of the Arkansas legislature say that they believe their bill will overturn the ordinance in Eureka Springs.

Liberty Counsel Cheers Fayetteville

Liberty Counsel is taking credit for the repeal of Fayetteville's LGBT rights ordinance, which we're pretty sure was the work of the FRC and the Duggar family. Via press release:

In a special referendum vote, Fayetteville voters repealed a law passed by the City Council in August that required churches, Christian schools, and other para-church ministries to hire homosexuals for “secular” jobs (such as school teachers), allowed men to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms, and required Christian business owners to service “same-sex weddings.” The law even provided for criminal prosecution of those who refused to comply.

Liberty Counsel became involved as soon as word spread that the City Council was considering passage of the radical ordinance, and Liberty Counsel attorneys wrote a letter to the Fayetteville City Council. Liberty Counsel worked with local attorneys Stephanie Nichols and Travis Story (the former graduated from Regent University and the latter graduated from Liberty University School of Law). Together, these attorneys drafted the referendum to repeal the law, and more than enough signatures were obtained to place the matter in a special election. The voters were heard and the law was repealed by a margin of 52 to 48 percent.

Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, said, “Homosexual activists are intolerant. The repeal of this radical and immoral law is a clear reminder that when good people unite and pastors speak up, their voices will be heard and they can make a difference. This ordinance sought to criminalize Judeo-Christian values. The American people should wake up and fight to preserve our inalienable right to freedom of conscience.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Dustin)

Josh Duggar: I Fight Non-Discrimination Laws Because I Love Gay People

Tony Perkins Cheers Fayetteville Repeal

"Arkansas voters got an early Christmas present when Fayetteville put the city council on notice that it wouldn’t tolerate a Houston-type ordinance. In an incredible victory, voters turned out in droves -- even in an ultra-liberal college town -- to roll back a measure that would have given locals the 'right' to use either gender’s bathroom, shower, locker room, or any other public facility of their choosing. Like us, they see right through this 'non-discrimination' ploy to the real goal: strong-arming and silencing men and women who hold natural views of sexuality. Under Ordinance 119, the city would have actually invented a special position dedicated to investigating complains of LGBT prejudice. You can fight city hall -- and win!" - KKK-affiliated hate group leader Tony Perkins, via press release.

Human Rights Campaign: Does TLC Know How Hateful The Duggars Really Are?

From the HRC's blog:

Last night, LGBT equality took a step backward in Arkansas following a Fayetteville vote to repeal a citywide non-discrimination ordinance that included protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

In a vicious, months-long campaign, anti-LGBT activists painted Ordinance 119 -- a non-discrimination law -- as something that would allow "sexual predators ... to enter gender-private areas." This is legally wrong and has never been reported by officials in 12 states with non-discrimination laws on the books from as far back as 1993.

At the helm of the repulsive campaign against LGBT Arkansans was none other than the Duggar clan, best known from the TLC series "19 and Counting.” The family donated $10,000 dollars of its own money to the election campaigns of three of the staunchest opponents of the non-discrimination ordinance -- John La Tour, Joshua Crawford and Paul Phaenuef. And since August, the hate-fueled campaign has been airing transphobic robo-calls like this one from Mother Michelle to push forward its discriminatory mission.

It’s not the first time the Duggar clan has used their celebrity to advocate against equality. In October 2013, the Duggars went on the road with the Family Research Council for a “Values Bus Tour” across Virginia in support of a radically anti-LGBT gubernatorial ticket. Last month, Josh Duggar led a rally against marriage equality in Little Rock, Arkansas last minute.

It is time for the TLC celebrities to end their nationwide campaign to walk back the rights of LGBT Americans.Help to spread the word about how the Duggars are exploiting their fame to attack trans people. Tweet now.

Last month LGBT activists hijacked the fuck out of the pro-Duggars social media campaign, so there's no way TLC missed those thousands of tweets.

Fayetteville Repeals LGBT Rights Law

Thanks to the Duggars, this will fuel repeal campaigns nationwide.

ARKANSAS: Josh Duggar Makes Last Minute Pitch For LGBT Rights Repeal

Fayetteville city officials are predicting a large turnout for today's repeal vote, which is unusual for a single-issue special ballot, but not surprising considering how inflamed the anti-gay side is.

Of the 49,000 registered voters in Fayetteville, about 10% voted early. According to Becky Lewallen, the Washington County Clerk, 4,494 people cast their ballot Dec. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 8. “We’ve had a very heavy turnout for this election,” Lewallen said. “We almost had 1,000 today only. We might hit 4,500 to 5,000, so that’s a pretty heavy turnout.” Lewallen estimates 18,000 to 20,000 voters will cast their ballots Tuesday. Groups for and against Ordinance 119 have spent several weeks leading up to the special election campaigning to get voters to the polls. Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, said he’d like to see the measure get repealed. The group Keep Fayetteville Fair, which supports the Civil Rights Ordinance, has been busy knocking on doors and making calls to voters, according to Field Director Daniel Lagana.

Keep Fayetteville Fair has rented buses to deliver voters to the polls, which close at 7:30PM local time. Both sides are predicting a win, but hopes for the pro-LGBT side may lie with the student body of the University of Arkansas, although it's unknown how many of those 26,000 students are registered to vote locally.

ARKANSAS: Fayetteville Votes Today On Repeal Of LGBT Rights Ordinance

Back in August, we all watched into the wee hours of the morning as the Fayetteville City Council endured ten hours of vicious and ugly public comments before approving its LGBT rights ordinance by a 6-2 vote. Anti-gay groups and local churches immediately launched a petition campaign to put the issue to public vote, which is happening today.

Last month the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce issued a unanimous endorsement of the ordinance's repeal. As it turns out, that group is headed by former Arkansas Attorney General Steve Clark, who was driven from office after being convicted of fraud. Purely by coincidence, Clark's son-in-law is one of the two Fayetteville councilmen who voted against the ordinance. Also backing the repeal, of course, is the Alliance Defending Freedom.

"Passing laws that guarantee special protections for some but punish others is a reckless avoidance of this duty," said Kellie Fiedorek, ADF litigation staff counsel, in an email interview with BP. "If this ordinance is enacted, people of all backgrounds and beliefs would be forced to accept, endorse and even promote government-dictated messages, ideas and events, even if they violate their deepest convictions. "Fayetteville is already a diverse and tolerant place: the government should not use its power to coerce any Arkansan, under threat of punishment, to surrender his or her constitutionally protected freedoms," Fiedorek said. "Coercion is not an American value."

Fiedorek, you may recall, is the lying liar who started the lie that Christians were being threatened with prison for not baking gay wedding cakes. Yesterday a local church posted the below video in which the speaker declares that Fayetteville's LGBT rights ordinance was "conceived" by accused HRC co-founder Terry Bean. Seriously. According to the clip's description, several "Terrence Bean operatives" had infiltrated the meeting. Seriously.

ARKANSAS: Fayetteville Chamber Of Commerce Calls For LGBT Rights Repeal

Back in August, the city council of Fayetteville, Arkansas voted 6-2 to approve a sweeping LGBT rights ordinance after a live-streamed ten-hour public debate that was hotly followed into the wee hours of the morning by many of you here. Four weeks later local haters had gathered enough petition signatures to force the issue onto a referendum that will be held next month.

Today the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce unanimously adopted a resolution calling for citizens to vote in favor of the repeal:

The Chamber will encourage its members and the public to “Vote for Repeal of Ordinance 5703 Chapter 119” on December 9, 2014 the date of the special referendum election on this ordinance. The Chamber submits to voters that it is never good public policy for any governmental entity to adopt rules, regulations, ordinances or laws that are vague, incomplete, fail to include critical definitions for prohibited acts or conduct that may be later be adjudged as criminal; base criminal prosecution on the basis of another’s “perception” of conduct, verbal or non verbal communication or attitude or that have not been completely and thoroughly debated and reviewed.

Here's the kicker:

Steve Clark, the former Arkansas attorney general driven from elective politics by his conviction for expense account fraud, is president of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce. His son-in-law, Juston Tennant, was one of two Fayetteville council members who opposed the non-discrimination ordinance. Tennant is expected to run for mayor in two years against Lioneld Jordan, a backer of the ordinance.

You may recall that before the vote took place, Mayor Lionel Jordan delivered a brilliant and impassioned speech in support of the ordinance.

Media Matters Debunks Top Five Myths About LGBT Non-Discrimination Laws

Carlos Maza does a great job. Watch this.

Matt Barber Has The Fayetteville Sadz

The non-discrimination ordinance passed earlier this month in Fayetteville, Arkansas already exists in similar form in hundreds of cities, but the Liberty Counsel is going to try to place a repeal on the November ballot.

WATCH: Fayetteville Mayor Passionately Urges Passage Of LGBT Rights Bill

After nearly ten hours of often ugly and often heartbreaking public testimony, at 3:30am this morning Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan set up the final city council vote with the below passionate plea for the passage of his city's LGBT rights ordinance. Watch this and feel good about the south. Watch this and feel hope.

(Tipped by JMG reader Hog Fan)

Local Haters Have The Fayetteville Sadz

Why does #Fayetteville discriminate against Christian beliefs? Why outsiders force their ideas on All? Who's been disenfranchised here?
— OurVoicesAR (@OurVoicesAR) August 20, 2014

#Fayetteville LGBT agenda wins over willof people who elect, votes 6-2 to OK "anti discrimination" law that attacks Christians' rights #arpx— OurVoicesAR (@OurVoicesAR) August 20, 2014