Advocacy, Awareness, Action

The Fayetteville City Council and Mayor Jordan are receiving hundreds of emails from people opposed to the City’s proclamation regarding the Pride Parade put on by NWA Pride.  Our All OUT June program has worked to promote this event along with all our other events in June.

Tell Mayor Jordan and the City Council that you support the Pride Parade and the city’s effort to draw LGBT visitors with its funding of All OUT June.  Title your email: YES to Parade!

Say it in your OWN words, that Fayetteville is right to celebrate Pride and to attract LGBT visitors.  Let them know how you feel.  Just title your email: YES to Parade!

A little more about our opponents
The form emails are being solicited and generated by the American Family Association, a national organization with a budget of $14 million.  We don’t know yet where these emails are coming from, but their strategy often involves contacting a nationwide list of equality opponents to flood the inboxes of elected officials.  (UPDATE: The City is reporting that most emails are coming from non-residents.)  This kind of intimidation can only be countered with positive voices in our own community.  Take a look at what they are saying:

They are pandering to our opponents’ hate and are fear-mongering by saying that the parade is exploiting children.  These kind of lies must be counteracted….will you help?  And come out this Saturday for the Parade at 10am on Dickson Street and the Block Party following at Rogue Pizza.  Get your Pride on!

Full text of email:

“Dear Mayor Jordan and Fayetteville City
Council:

I am shocked to learn that the city of
Fayetteville is issuing a proclamation
in support of the homosexual activist
group, Northwest Arkansas Pride.

It’s offensive enough to sensibilities
that they are going to parade their
deviant lifestyle on the streets of the
city.

It’s even more abhorrent that the city
is supporting it, knowing very well that
the organizers of this event are
exploiting children to push their
radical sexualizing event.

I implore you to withdraw the
proclamation and focus on issues that
promote a healthy and safe lifestyle,
rather than one that is risky and dangerous.

Sincerely,”

The opinions expressed by our Contributors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the NWA Center for Equality, its Members, or any employee thereof. The NWA Center for Equality is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the Contributors.