RUSSELLVILLE (KFSM) – A Marriage Equality Rally is scheduled to take place in Russellville on Saturday (May 2) at 3 p.m.
The rally comes one week after an event called March for Marriage was held in Russellville by the Arkansas River Valley Tea Party Patriots. Supporters that attended March for Marriage carried signs that said “Marriage = 1 Man And 1 Woman.”
March for Marriage featured guest speaker Dr. Deborah Owens with the Coalition of African American Pastors, and Chaplain Paul Northcut of Russellville led a prayer at the event. Supporters of marriage equality were also at the march, bringing their own signs and staging a counter protest.
The rally will take place at the train depot in downtown Russellville at 320 W. C St., according to the event’s Facebook page. The event is being organized by a group called Pope County for Equality.
Emily Young with Pope County for Equality said she doesn’t anticipate any protesters will show up at the rally but admitted it was possible a few could make an appearance.
Christina Roulston, who helped to organize the March for Marriage, said she doesn’t plan to attend the rally, but she heard a few others were planning to protest at the event.
“I would encourage them not to protest,” Roulston said.
Roulston isn’t planning a counter protest for the rally because she said her message supporting traditional marriage has already been delivered.
“We had a message to say, and we said it,” she said.
The message of the rally is, “Just because we live in a small town doesn’t mean we all have small minds,” according to Young.
She continued, “Our community is full of open-minded, big-hearted people, and it’s time we make sure they’re heard. We want to promote love, hope and a sense of unity.”
Chaplain Paul Northcut plans to show up to the rally and support traditional marriage if he isn’t out of town on Saturday, he said.
Approximately 200 showed up to counter protest the March for Marriage on April 25, and another large group is expected to attend the Marriage Equality Rally, Young said.
