Eureka Springs gay business Guild set to launch

(Eureka Springs, AR) -- Focused on preserving and promoting Eureka Springs' reputation as a gay-friendly travel destination, the new Eureka Springs Gay Business Guild held a kickoff party and membership drive last month at the Voulez-Vous Lounge.

Possibly the first of its kind in Arkansas, the new Guild is patterned after similar East and West coast organizations that have for decades made such places as Key West FL, Provincetown MA and Palm Springs CA popular destinations with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender vacationers.

"Most large cities also have a gay business guild or a gay chamber of commerce these days," noted John Jarrett, owner of Fusion Squared in Eureka Springs. "There is growing competition for that lucrative travel market and, for the sake of our local economy, we need to make sure Eureka Springs continues to get its share. Working collectively as a guild is an efficient and cost-effective way of doing that."

The guild, he said, plans to establish working relationships with regional and national LGBT organizations, other local business associations and with local, state and national tourism agencies.

Based on positive responses from two community meetings last spring, Jarrett formed a steering committee to create the framework for the new not-for-profit business group. He was joined in the effort by Lamont Richie of Quicksilver Gallery, Leslie Meeker and Kelly Breslau of The Fine Art of Romance and Voulez-Vous, Paul Aulgur of Mountain Eclectic, Cody Steussy of Abundant Taxi, and Ken Riley of Texaco Bungalow.

Membership applications for gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses and individuals are available from Jarrett at Fusion Squared, 84 Spring St.

Eureka Springs has an estimated 60 gay-owned businesses and dozens of others that are gay-friendly, including restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries, antique stores, boutiques, gift shops, B&Bs and hotels. Diversity Weekends in April, August and November attract thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender visitors each year.

October 24, 2013