FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (BP, TAB) — Fayetteville, Ark., voters overturned a pro-LGBT ordinance Dec. 9 that many claimed posed a threat to religious liberty. Approved by less than 500 votes, the ordinance listed real or perceived “gender identity,” “gender expression” and “sexual orientation” among the classifications to receive protection from discrimination in employment and housing and was passed by the city council in August. The repeal appears to be a setback to the April-announced southern campaign by the Humans Rights Campaign (HRC) to extend LGBT rights in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. Russell D. Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said the repeal “represents a victory for religious freedom.”
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