Many gays have always lived in Hot Springs, which I wouldn't think guilty of that kind of prejudice. I can't believe those preachers speak for a majority of their 14,000 parishioners. For more than 100 years, Hot Springs has been a popular, wide-open spot for tourists and conventioneers. Beer, wine and whiskey flow freely at almost every gathering from the Arkansas Press Association conventions to the fishing tournaments. There are lap-dancers and strippers performing every night in Hot Springs clubs.
Tourists go where they can do what they want to do.
I've gone to the Six Flags parks in Missouri and Texas and made three visits to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., where you can get any kind of a drink known to man. Some consistency among the Southern Baptists must be acknowledged. In 1997, the Southern Baptist Convention voted to boycott Disney World because it gave its gay employees the same benefits as it did other employees and allowed gay groups to hold meetings in the park. I'll give you one guess where the convention is meeting this week.