The following turned up in this morning's _Arkansas Democrat-Gazette_:
 
Certainly, it was no great surprise, although Everett merit's a letter of
thanks, considering that Arkansas' sodomy law was enacted only about 12 years
ago.
 
Senate panel rejects effort to repeal state sodomy law.
by Rachel O'Neal
 
      A senate committee rejected a bill Wednesday that would repeal the
state's sodomy law despite testimony from one senator who said he has become
more sensitive to the issue since learning his son is gay.
      Senate Bill 565 by Sen. Vic Snyder of Little Rock would remove sodomy
from the criminal offence of bestiality.
      Senator Mike Everett of Marked Tree said he "was forced to confront my
own prejudices a few years ago" when he learned his son is gay.  Everett was
the only senator on the seven-member committee who voted for the bill.
      Everett said he began researching homosexuality after learning about his
son.  He declined to name his son but said he is a 24-year old college senior.
      I reached two major conclusions from doing that (research):  the first
is nobody chooses to be homosexual and next is that they cannot correct being
homosexual.  Nobody would choose to engage in a lifestyle that would generate
as much prejudice as this does," he said.
      "But I feel sorry for him because of the prejudices he as to suffer.
This is a state-sanctioned form of prejudice," he said.
      The only person to speak against the bill was the Rev. Rex Horne, pastor
of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock.
      President Clinton attends Horne's church when he is in Little Rock.  The
church was the site of many protests from a Texas minister who was opposed to
Clinton's support of gay rights.
      Horne said he believes in "compassion for all human beings," but "the
erosion of our society must be rejected.:
      Senators who voted against the bill were Mike Beebe of Searcy, Steve
Bell of Batesville and Lou Hardin of Russellville.  Sen. Wayne Dowd of
Texarkana did not vote.  Sens. Allen Gordon of Morrilton and Morril Harriman
were absent.
      "This bill is not a civil rights bill for gay men and women.  It is not
special rights.  It has nothing to do with employment or housing or same-sex
marriages or any of these things that are some of the distortions that you
hear," Snyder said.
      Snyder added the bill does not allow for public sexual displays or
affect child molestation laws.
      The Rev. Bryan Fulwider of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in
Sherwood testified in support of the bill.
      "It is a matter of social justice for the folks we have continued to
selectively prosecute," Fulwider explained.
      He added there is "no room for intrusion into private lives."
      Kerry Lobel, a staff member at the Women's Project in Little Rock, also
spoke in favor of the bill.  The Women's Project is a nonprofit group that
fights for civil rights and women's issues.
      "I hope that in Arkansas today we can take one small step to repeal a
law which exists for only one reason -- to harass some of Arkansas' citizens,"
Lobel said.
      She added that Arkansas is one of five states with same-sex sodomy laws.
 
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Corcoran@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu \       John Corcoran - Augusta, AR 72006
al807@freenet.cwru.edu       /                501-347-2869