Eureka Springs First in Arkansas to Enact Domestic Partnership Registry

(Eureka Springs, Arkansas) The celebration was planned long before the final vote on Eureka Springs Ordinance 2052, the first Domestic Partnership Registry in Arkansas.

"Come share this historic moment with us," read the invitation posted on the Eureka Pride bulletin board. "Party to follow at Henri's." (Full coverage of the vote is provided by Eureka Springs TV.)

Scores of revelers RSVP'd and, on the night of the historic vote, a cheerful crowd gathered outside the Eureka Springs courthouse. Supporters wore t-shirts emblazoned with equal signs and "2052." They waved American flags and raised handmade messages of love and tolerance.

When local businessman Alvin Byrd leaned out of a window to signal the third, and final, unanimous approval of Eureka's Domestic Partnership Registry (DPR), the crowd below burst into applause and jubilant tears.

"I cried like a baby," said Michael Walsh, spokesperson for the citizen group that presented the measure to Mayor Dani Wilson. "So many people worked so hard, for so long, to make this happen. The joy we all felt was overwhelming."

It's unanimous

The Eureka Springs City Council called an unprecedented recess of its regular meeting to greet supporters outside. While Mayor Dani Wilson and city alderpersons shared hugs and congratulations with constituents, opponents who had hoped to block the DPR ordinance's passage slipped through a Red Sea of revelers that parted quietly for their departure.

"This is a monumental occasion for our town," Mayor Wilson proclaimed. "I am so incredibly proud that our council has had the courage to stand for equality for all. It reinforces the fact that Eureka Springs was founded upon equality, inclusion, and love for all, and still holds those principals true today."

With some exceptions