Extremist politicians and special interest groups are trying to divide us. From hateful attacks on our LGBTQ+ community to an assault on our voting rights to extreme attempts to restrict our right to an abortion or erase our racist history while perpetuating systemic inequality, they placed our rights, our healthcare and our very lives in jeopardy.
The ACLU of Arkansas has seen an onslaught of attacks on our civil rights and liberties the last few years. Harmful legislation proposed and passed disproportionately affects people of color, immigrants, people who live in rural areas, and people with low incomes. These restrictive laws hurt all of us but most so the very people and families who are already among the most vulnerable Arkansans.
Restricting the rights for some of us impacts all of us. For over 100 years, the ACLU has been fighting for the fundamental rights of everyone within our borders: the rights of immigrants and refugees, the rights of LGBTQ+ people and communities of color, the rights of people who are housing insecure and people with disabilities, and the rights of women to access contraception and abortion – and to free speech, access to the ballot, religious liberty, and equal protection under the law.
Since our founding, we've opposed censorship in all its forms – that includes speech, protest, films, press, television, internet and books. The first amendment is one of the strongest tools to stop this kind of erasure and censorship in its tracks.
We fight for the rights of everyone, because we understand that if only some of us are guaranteed our fundamental rights then none of us are truly safe to hold and exercise our rights.
Arkansans united shall never be defeated. We fight for these rights regardless of who sits in the Governor’s Mansion, our state capitol or our city halls–even, and perhaps especially, when it’s unpopular to do so. And, we’ve seen voices from across the state and nation come together and speak out against unconstitutional laws in our state that would cause catastrophic harm to Arkansans.
We can’t let our guard down now — we are meeting this attack on our rights with litigation and fierce advocacy, made possible by your continued support. We need you to continue to sign our petitions, share our social media posts, and speak up for civil liberties and civil rights. And, we need Arkansans from across the state to use our vote to make our voices heard.
We are just 27 days from the midterm elections. You can access information on your voting rights here: www.acluarkansas.org/vote or by calling 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683.
