EUREKA SPRINGS (AP) – The Eureka Springs City Council voted unanimously last month to set up a domestic partnership registry. Couples who are 18 and older and pay a $35 fee will receive a certificate noting their partnership.

The registry runs counter to popular opinion in a state that overwhelmingly banned same-sex marriage in 2004, but town officials plan to begin recording unions of gay and unmarried couples June 22.

The scenic village, in far northwestern Arkansas near the Missouri border, has a population of only 2,300 but issues more than 4,000 wedding licenses a year.

During the push for the registry, Wilson said the certificates would aid employees seeking domestic partner benefits under their company’s insurance programs. However, many employers that recognize the partnerships, such as Acxiom Corp. and Hendrix College, only require a signed affidavit, not a government certificate.

Companies nationwide have similar practices, said Fritz Hewelt, a vice president with Aon Consulting, a global human resources company based in Chicago. Hewelt said companies simply want to verify the two people aren’t already married, are 18 or older and live together.

In 2004, about 75 percent of Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a union of one man and one woman.

TWIN FALLS (AP) – Members and supporters of a gay and lesbian group whose float was denied entry into the annual Western Days parade protested at the event by standing by their idle float and waving signs.

The signs supporting the Southern Idaho Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center read “Love makes a family” and “We are not invisible.”

“I feel that this is discrimination,” Mitch Silvester, a spokesperson for the center, told The Times-News. “We are family oriented and open to the entirety of southern Idaho.”

The Western Days Committee denied entry of the float, saying it was inappropriate for the family parade. The float had a green cutout of Idaho that read “Southern Idaho GLBT,” and included a rainbow.

Silvester said committee members told the group they were concerned parents would complain to the planning committee if their children asked questions about what GLBT stood for.

“This is a very conservative region with strong religious values,” Lisa Cueller, an organizer of Saturday’s parade, told the newspaper. “It’s nothing against the group itself, but we felt that it was in everybody’s best interest not to allow their float in the parade.”

Some parade watchers said the float should have been allowed in the parade. Ron Van Wagenen said it would have given him an opportunity to educate his children.

“I don’t think we can make the world safe for our children – we need to make our children safe for the world,” he said. “We need to teach our children. They see stuff, and they’ll ask questions, and answering these questions is our opportunity to teach them.”

Adrian Ehrmantraut used his microphone to read the signs held by the protesters from a float that promoted a demolition derby.

“I feel bad they were left out of the parade,” he said. “I wouldn’t want my family and my son to do that, but I’ll love ya no matter what.”

CONCORD (AP) – A New Hampshire woman, frustrated with Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney’s opposition to same-sex marriage, made a point Wednesday of telling him about her personal experience.

“I am a gay woman and I have children. Your comment that you just made, it sort of invalidates my family,” said Cynthia Fish, a mother of a 6- and 8-year-old. “I wish you could explain to me more, why if we are sending our troops over to fight for liberty and justice for all throughout this country, why not for me? Why not for my family?”

Romney paused, asked Fish about her children and then praised her.

“Wonderful,” Romney said. “I’m delighted that you have a family and you’re happy with your family. That’s the American way. … People can live their lives as they choose and children can be a great source of joy, as you know. And I welcome that.”

But then Romney repeated his view of marriage.

“Marriage is an institution which is designed to bring a man and woman together to raise a child and that the ideal setting for society at large is where there is a male and a female are associated with the development and nurturing a child,” Romney said.

The former Massachusetts governor acknowledged other enviroments within which children are raised.

“There are other ways to raise kids that’s fine: single moms, grandparents raising kids, gay couples raising kids. That’s the American way, to have people have their freedom of choice,” he said.

KUTZTOWN (AP) – A judge dismissed disorderly conduct charges against a Christian fundamentalist arrested in a confrontation with Kutztown University students, but the anti-gay preacher said he was unhappy with a rebuke from the judge.

The charges against Michael A. Marcavage, 27, of Lansdowne, Delaware County, were dismissed Wednesday. District Judge Gail M. Greth ruled that he did not engage in criminal behavior and did not have to pay a fine.

But Greth also rebuked Marcavage and his group, Repent America of Philadelphia, for conducting a demonstration on the campus without the university’s permission.

Marcavage called that part of the ruling “bizarre” and an affront to free speech. His attorney, C. Scott Shields, argued that even though his preaching, during a national “Day of Silence” held April 18 to promote understanding of gay and lesbian lifestyles, infuriated students, the university campus is a public place and the preaching was protected by the U.S. and Pennsylvania constitutions.

“They didn’t scream, use profanity or engage in fighting,” Shields told the judge.

BELLEVUE (AP) – Employment benefits for domestic partners of municipal employees have been approved unanimously by the City Council in this Seattle suburb after a lawsuit and years of lobbying by gay rights advocates.

Extending medical, dental, vision, life insurance, mental health counseling and family leave provisions to unmarried straight as well as same-sex partners is “consistent with our policy of treating all employees fairly and equally,” Mayor Grant S. Degginger said.

“It’s definitely an exciting night and a giant leap forward for the city of Bellevue,” said George E. Einsetler, a 911 dispatcher, following the vote Monday.

Local officials said it would probably take two to three months to complete negotiations with employee unions and implement the change.

Other public employers offering similar benefits include the state, King and Snohomish counties and the cities of Seattle and Spokane.

Lambda Legal, a national gay rights group, sued in April on behalf of Einsetler and two other gay employees who were denied time off for family funerals or health coverage for their partners.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, municipal officials said domestic partner benefits would be too expensive, but a week later Degginger said the benefits would be extended after all. The total cost remains unclear, but officials said extending medical, dental and vision coverage would run $166,000 to $414,000 a year.

Several gay employees have left Bellevue in recent years because of the lack of benefits, according to those involved in the legal action. Degginger said he hopes the change would help in retaining and recruiting employees.

“It’s a challenging job market out there,” he said.

Before dropping the case, Lambda Legal officials said they would examine the change in ordinances and monitor the implementation.

“We have a lot of open questions,” said Tara L. Borelli, a lawyer for the group.

WASHINGTON (AP) – It began as a small countercultural festival in 1975. But these days, Capital Pride – which culminated in a parade and a street fair over the weekend – is a 10-day event complete with corporate sponsorships and appearances by politicians.

This year’s festival showed an increased focus on bisexual and transgender people and also on health issues and treatments such as yoga and acupuncture. Among the sponsors were SunTrust Banks and Southwest Airlines.

“In the beginning, corporations didn’t want to have anything to do with the gay and lesbian market,” Capital Pride director David D. Mallory said. “As people are more out in the workplace, [corporations] are wanting to attract lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered consumers.”

As Saturday’s parade wound its way through northwest Washington, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty threw green beads into the crowd and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton waved and smiled. D.C. Councilmember Phil Mendelson tossed leis.

A few minutes before the parade, Blair Michaels stood primping beside a black convertible. He was squeezed into a floor-length silver chiffon gown and had on a blond beehive wig. His wrists and neck glittered with jewels.

Michaels, 42, performs as Liza Minnelli, Madonna and others. He said the parade lets him give back to the community.

The National Organization for Women had a float with two women in wedding attire. NOW’s executive vice president, Olga Vives, said it was part of the group’s campaign to legalize marriage for gays and lesbians.

“We are educating legislators in Congress that same-sex couples have the [same] right of marriage as heterosexual couples,” she said.