Through the Looking Glass Equality Gala in Ft. Smith
by Rob Howard
Associate Editor
The Arkansas River Valley Equality Center (RVEC), in Ft. Smith, AR, founded in the fall of 2012 is making big plans for the future. According to President Jason Phillips, their big focus this year is “getting our own space. We want to increase our services to the community – a parents support group, an LGBTQ support group, peer support group. We’ve had members of the community who have found us, and just need a safe space to talk about issues.”
RVEC is a community organization committed to non-violent advocacy for the rights of all humans, with an emphasis on the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender communities and other minority sexualities. RVEC is using a combination of visible action, education, and social support to change misinformed hatred and prejudice to acceptance and goodwill.
Phillips was particularly emphatic about better serving the transgender community. In 2014, they held a transgender town hall meeting, featuring Andrea Zekis from the Arkansas Transgender Equality Coalition (ARTEC). Zekis did some training with the board and volunteers about transgender issues, and how to be more sensitive to the transgender community.
The organization currently has no space of its own, but is hoping to work out an arrangement where they could share a space with some other groups in Ft. Smith. Programming and a physical location, of course cost money, but RVEC hopes to turn that task into a fun evening with their “Through the Looking Glass Gala.”
RVEC is holding the annual Gala on March 14 at the Ft. Smith Riverfront Pavilion. The evening will start at 6:30pm with heavy Hors d’Oeuvres. A local gay bar is setting up a cash bar at the event. The evening features four entertainers: Ambrosia Bordeaux, Miss Gay Arkansas America 2014; Vivica Vain, Miss River Valley Pride 2014; Adrian Keriocus, Miss Midwest Vintage America National Star 2014; and Rosa Lee Turrelle-Andrews, Miss Gay Arkansas USofA Newcomer 2011. For additional fun, they will have a silent auction during the evening.
As an indication of their growing acceptance in Ft. Smith, the city government donated the use of the Riverfront Pavilion. Getting approved as a non-profit was a big help, according to Phillips. “We only recently got our 501(c) 3. A sign of support from the community is that we were able to raise over $10,000 last year even before getting the tax status. People were willing to contribute even though they could not deduct it from their taxes. We had contributions from both the LGBTQ community and from straight allies.”
Phillips is an Alabama transplant to Ft. Smith. He says when he and his partner were moving there, his mother told them that they had to be careful. He said, “We’ve not found that to be true at all. It’s not a community where you feel constantly under siege.” RVEC is already having talks with the city about having a Pride Parade at some point in the future. “We just aren’t quite there yet, but we’ll get there,” he said. He is upbeat about RVEC and the future of the LGBTQ community in the Ft. Smith area.
Phillips hopes that the whole community will join them at the Gala. Tickets are $55 in February, $60 in March, and are available online at gala.rvecark.org/.
The Gayly – February 15, 2015 @ 10:30am.