Alex, this is a good summary. As a resident of Arkansas, I've been very interested in how this initiative has played out. I hope the polls turn out to be right.

In the last election, the same group was very successful at leveraging an anti-gay initiative to amend the state constitution, to bring the religious right to the polls.

They hoped to do the same thing this time, but have found that their initiative has blown up in their face. It has done so because public sentiment (even in backwards Arkansas) is slowly shifting.

But in addition, some important people and some important groups have spearheaded a very strong and successful publicity campaign to expose this initiative for the crap it is. They have worked the angle that the ban will affect not just gays (the LGBT community was the primary target of those who got the initiative going). The anti-initiative 1 group have noted that if it passes, the initiative will also affect straight unmarried couples.

One other thing: we have a Democratic governor now, and we didn't in the last election. Arkansas Democrats are conservative and to the right of some Republicans. Nonetheless, it has definitely made a difference with this initiative, to have a Democrat in the governor's office. A good reminder in the coming elections that not only the presidential election, but ALL elections are important. We need people at all levels who work to block the attempt to enshrine religious bigotry in our laws.

I have been asking the the early voters in Eureka Springs, AR. (a blue freckle in a red state) to please vote NO to Act 1. Even in this liberal little town of intellectuals and artists, folks are asking me, What is Act 1? Then they say, to my relief "Oh, I've already voted against that one".
It is frightening when right wing conservative Christians are seeking to make a blanket decesion for the child welfare workers directly involved with these children.
I'm going back out today. Keep us in your thoughts!

Bil, you're absolutely right: it does get my dander up that, in order to gain "mainstream" support for an anti-gay initiative, we have to emphasize how that initiative might negatively affect straight folks.

I understand the strategic reasons those opposing this initiative are doing that in Arkansas. And it seems to be paying off.

Still, it's clear that the original intent of this initiative was to work homophobia to get right-wing evangelicals to the polls. So pretending it's not really about the gays only invisibilizes us in a political game in which we're being bashed!

Best hope I have for initiatives like this is that, as they fail (and they eventually will, even in the solid conservative heartland), those promoting them will realize they are alienating more and more voters by targeting the LGBT community.

"Updated to fix my slippage between "adoption" and "foster parenting." Thanks to the reader who emailed me with that one!"

Oh, it would ban both so you were (half)right on that one.

I am a straight single female raising a special needs grandson...who although I am his sole caregiver and financial provider...I cannot adopt him. This makes a lot of sense to me...the other grandparents are sex offenders, his father has never worked and his mother (my child) is bipolar...this is just wrong. And as far as gays..what the hell is with people associating gays with pedophiles? Why are people so ignorant? Just look at public records, documentaries and psychological studies...most pedophiles are straight not gay. I pray the amendment to pass this agenda into action happens...or my vote was for nothing.