Ride the rainbow: Inside the gay rodeo in Arkansas where cowboys bust broncos and stereotypes see photos below...
Earp was a contestant at the International Gay Rodeo event
held last month in Arkansas, a Bible Belt state on the front
lines of the fight over gay rights and one of the 13 US states
where same-sex marriage is not recognized.
'Everybody deserves equal treatment. Everybody deserves
equal rights,' said Earp, 45, a native of Benton, Arkansas,
where he was raised in a fundamentalist Christian denomination,
and a competitor in barrel racing, calf roping and steer riding.
rnational Gay Rodeo Association's Rodeo In the Rock party in Little Rock, Arkansas
Embrace: Satterly holds hands with his husband Brand
Party: (From left to right) Pierre
Cadieux, 40, Mary Honeycutt, 37, Frank Thompson, 41, Jeff Germany, 54,
and Tommy Channel laugh as they chat at the International Gay Rodeo
Association's Rodeo In the Rock party
Merchandise: Equality t-shirts are seen for sale at the Rodeo In the Rock
The sixteenth Diamond State Rodeo held in Little Rock drew
75 contestants, far outnumbering spectators, from a dozen states
and Canada, all hoping to qualify for the International Gay
Rodeo 2016 finals in Las Vegas.
'For years, no one would allow us to advertise it,' said
Sandy Bidwell, president of the Diamond State event, for fear
protesters would create a disturbance.
'My attitude is, let them. It's free advertising.'
This year, they put up a sign directing traffic to the
event, and no protesters came.
For two days, gays and lesbians and at least one transgender
man competed in barrel racing and bull riding on the soft soil
of a fairgrounds arena at the rodeo that looked like just about
every small-scale rodeo held across the country.
The arena's railings were festooned with the banners of
corporate sponsors advertising products such as Bud Light beer,
Jack Daniels whiskey, and Gun Oil personal lubricant.
Together: Diamond State Rodeo
Association President and U.S. marine veteran Sandy Bidwell, 68, (R) and
her wife, former army national guard veteran and Assistant Rodeo
Director, Lisa Smith, 59, dance at the party
Ashley Vickers, 29, (L) and her
fiancee Sara Strickland, 32, play with their two dogs as they get ready
for breakfast at their home in Little Rock
Cleaning: A man washes a horse outside in the sunshine
Winner: A competitor displays prize ribbons and a belt buckle at the rodeo
Mipsy Mikels, 50, smokes a cigarette
at Rodeo in the Rock. Arkansas is a Bible Belt state on the front lines
of the fight over gay rights and one of the 13 U.S. states where
same-sex marriage is not recognized
Competition: Wade Earp, 49, (L) competes in the Goat Dressing event that involved putting underwear on a kicking animal
Tussle over marriage
With same-sex marriage now legal in 37 states and Washington
D.C., the focus has shifted to states such as Arkansas and the
battle between social conservatives and those seeking expanded
rights for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT)
community.
Change might be right around the corner in Little Rock, the
state capital, where in May 2014 a state judge declared
unconstitutional Arkansas's ban on same-sex marriage.
But one year later, the Arkansas Supreme Court has yet to
decide the state's appeal, prompting the chief justice and an
associate justice to angrily accuse their colleagues of
manufacturing a delay.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in
June whether to strike down bans on gay marriage nationwide.
The Arkansas legislature this year approved a religious
freedom bill that critics said would allow for residents to deny
service to the LGBT community citing their religious beliefs.
Pressure from Arkansas-based retail giant Walmart Inc and
other corporations along with rallies by gay rights activists
helped spur the legislature to tone down the proposed law.
Getting ready: A woman waits to compete in the Goat Dressing event
Rodeo: Raymond Norris, 45, rides a steer while competing in the Wild Drag Race
All dressed up: Jason Strand, 33, helps Raymond Norris, 45, (L) with his dress before the drag racing contest
Small talk: Greg Smith, 47, from Alabama (L) chats to a cowboy as he waits to compete in the Wild Drag Race
Grip: A cowboy wrestles a steer at the Rodeo In the Rock
Big show: Wade Earp, 49, (R) competes in the calf roping event
Ban 'almost insulting'
In the state capital and some other pockets, support for the
LGBT community has been strong.
Only days before the rodeo began, the Little Rock Board of
Directors approved an ordinance barring discrimination against
gays in municipal hiring and among vendors doing business with
the city.
In Fayetteville, home to the state's largest university, a
human rights policy friendly to gays was approved by aldermen
but reversed in a referendum spearheaded by religious
conservatives.
Back at the rodeo, Earp and partner Jonathan Suder, 25,
dressed in typical western garb, insist they are not asking for 'anything special.'
'We just want what's right,' said Earp, which for both men
means marriage, a legal covenant denied them in Arkansas and
Texas.
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