Michael Walsh is the person behind the Domestic Partner Registry that is currently being proposed in Eureka Springs so we figured now would be a good time to profile him and also help get the word out to all of Arkansas about this proposal.

We asked Michael where he grew up and where he lives now.

“I am happily afflicted with the Peter Pan Complex and obstinately refuse to grow up” Michael said.

“Fortunately, in Eureka Springs, where I currently reside, such an attitude is considered quite unremarkable.”

We asked him about hat kind of career he was in?

“Sadly, the kind that requires me to work for money. Until last year, I was a know-it-all syndicated newspaper columnist whose pearls of wisdom appeared in more than 200 newspapers nationwide every month for 20 years. Now, from the comfort of an 80-year-old micro-cabin precariously perched on a mountainside, I write about gazillion-dollar homes for a variety of shelter publications.

Talk about some of the work you have done for the GLBT community.
“Probably the best thing was resigning from the Chicago Gay Mens Chorus after three years. I got a standing ovation for that one.

“Next, telling my Chicago Sun-Times colleague Dear Abby in 1981 that a plaid shirt, Levis and facial hair did not automatically identify a man as gay, no matter what her ‘semi-closeted' hairdresser said. I'm not making this up.
“After that it has to be advocating for the first municipal Domestic Partnership Registry in Arkansas, right here in little ol' Eureka Springs where the notions of justice and equality under the law are alive and well, and where the entire population is gay. At least on Diversity Weekends.

“The first of three city council votes is on April 9. So, you still have time to send polite and supportive e-mails to our heroic mayor, Ms. Dani Wilson: mayor@cityofeurekasprings.org .”

What are your thoughts on coming out, advice to others, etc?

“Do it. Now. The closet is a toxic environment.”

What do you see in the near future and long-range for gay rights/equality?

“Let's see. The Magic 8 Ball says ‘prospects good' for the creation of a Domestic Partnership Registry in Eureka Springs by mid-May. “Long range? A time when the inauguration of a lesbian President of the United States is considered routine.”

Profiles in Pride Questions:

Date and place of birth? My birth certificate is in the fossil record. What does that tell you?

What is your favorite food? That which someone else cooks.

What food will you not eat? As Mary Tyler Moore once said, “Anything that has, or once had, a face.”

What is the best job you've ever had? Besides that astronaut gig, you mean? In my view, there is no such thing as a best job. I loathe working for a living. Always have, always will.

What is your dream job? Getting paid handsomely for inhaling, exhaling and having a pulse. If you didn't work, what would you do with all of your time? My dear interviewer, you seem to be obsessed with the notion of work. I encourage you to stop this nonsense because it will only lead to promotion, more responsibility and a higher income. People who say they love their jobs are lying through their teeth.

Who do you admire most? People who, day in and day out, wage peace.
Who would you lunch with if you could have anyone (living or dead)? The living, definitely. They're much better conversationalists, don't you agree?
Who has had the greatest influence on your life? Gay men and women who showed me it was possible to live a shame-free life.

What one thing would you not have done if you could go back in time? Getting a perm. Big mistake.

What one thing would you have done if you could go back in time? Come out well before the age of 27. How stupid was that?

What is your favorite word? “Yes.” Wait. Everybody says that, right? Okay, then, how about . . . windowsill?

Least favorite word? Republican.

Favorite curse word? !@#$% &* Republican.

What turns you on? Random acts of kindness. That and the people of Eureka Springs — contentious, cantankerous, compassionate eccentrics each and every one. Not counting the !@#$%&* Republicans.

What turns you off? Celebrity. Television. George Bush. War. George Bush's war. Haters, hypocrites and homophobes. People who exploit other people for money, power or privilege. Not to mention bartenders who don't know the difference between a lemon “twist” and a lemon “wedge.” Grrrr!

What word would others use to describe you? “Giddy.” Over the prospect of living in the first city in Arkansas to create a Domestic Partnership Registry.

What word sums you up? At the moment, it would have to be “pleasesupportdomesticpartnershipregistryineurekasprings ."