The Fayettevile city council had earlier in the year (August) passed an anti-discrimination ordinance (Ordinance 119) to protect LGBT folks in addition to other groups. Anti-gay groups collected enough signatures to put the ordinance to a vote, which was held today. The measure was repealed by a vote of 52% to 48%.
From arkansasmatters.com:
In September, petitioners turned in more than 5,000 signatures, pushing the controversial ordinance to a public vote after it was passed by city council vote.
According to the city, 'Repeal 119,' a group made up of local residents, business owners and church members, turned in the required signatures to put the ordinance on hold.
The now-repealed Civil Rights Administration ordinance was to protect against specific types of discrimination because of sexual orientation, gender identity and several other criteria. It would have also created a municipal civil rights administrator position to investigate discrimination complaints.
'Repeal 119' took issue with the wording of Ordinance 119 saying it created an "environment where sexual predators can use the cover of an anti-discrimination law to enter previously gender-private areas causing a major public safety risk." They also said portions of the policy language could "put businesses in danger of being criminally charged for the complaints of a disgruntled employee."
From
LGBTQ Nation:
Fayetteville was the first Arkansas city to enact such an ordinance, but a group that opposed the measure gathered enough signatures to force Tuesday’s special election.
Opposition to the ordinance gained national attention due in part to the efforts of the Duggar family of TLC’s reality series “19 Kids and Counting.”
In August, Duggar matriarch Michelle Duggar recorded a robocall urging residents to pressure council members to oppose the measure, claiming it would lead to women going topless at public swimming pools, men using women’s restrooms, and allow pedophiles and sexual predators to abuse people.
This is one of the many reasons that the SCOTUS should make LGBT folks a suspect class. We are still losing many of these basic civil rights battles (especially in the South, but certainly not limited to southern states).