Idaho Bar Owner’s ‘hetero Awesome Fest’ To Coincide With Pride Month

A barroom proprietor adjacent Boise, Idaho, plans to observe heterosexuality successful nan mediate of Pride Month.  Mark Fitzpatrick, proprietor of Old State Saloon, says his Pride Month-inspired two-day show connected June 20 and 21, dubbed “Hetero Awesome Fest,” will beryllium held astatine a section parkland crossed nan thoroughfare from nan authorities capitol arsenic first reported by NBC News connected Tuesday, April 29.

Fitzpatrick says his show is meant to springiness group an replacement to Pride Month celebrations. 

The arena moreover has its ain Instagram page, pinch a narrator declaring, “Heterosexual Awesomeness Festival is coming to Boise. This isn’t conscionable different festival. It’s a movement, a ceremony of faith, family and freedom. Right successful nan bosom of Idaho.”

Building connected past efforts

The caller show follows Fitzpatrick’s “Heterosexual Awareness Month” past year. Fitzpatrick told NBC News that his purpose is not for hate, and said successful a caller video he doesn’t intend “to beryllium negative.” Fitzpatrick said nan arena is besides not meant to “target immoderate group,” but alternatively to “celebrate what God’s creation was,” and to constituent retired “practices we find troubling, specified arsenic nan encouragement of ‘gender transitions’ among children aliases their vulnerability to inappropriate content.” 

Critics respond

Critics note that, while his volition whitethorn not beryllium hate, his bar’s social media page says “There’s nary shame successful speaking nan truth. The LGBTQ schedule is wicked, perverse, and victimizes children.” However, he has supporters, pinch 1 Instagram personification commenting, “You’re speaking 100% truth and we request much group and business owners for illustration yourself.!! God bless you,” a sentiment shared by immoderate different commenters arsenic well.

Inspiration from Pride Month

Fitzpatrick says he decided to create Hetero Awesome Fest aft he was incapable to return his girl into downtown Boise past year, arsenic that was wherever Pride events were taking place. 

Fitzpatrick said, “I was reasoning to myself, ‘What could we do to observe successful June that would beryllium different than what’s going connected downtown? Can we beryllium different than what Pride has been celebrating each June? What if we celebrated God’s creation for sexuality? What would that look like?’ And wrong a fewer seconds, I thought, ‘Man, heterosexuality is awesome.’”

The Hill reports that Pride Month organizers successful Idaho’s superior metropolis person not held events successful June since 2020. Organizers decided to move nan events to September owed to nan COVID-19 pandemic and because upwind is much favorable during that month.

Boise Pride’s response?

When asked astir Hetero Awesome Fest, Boise Pride said it told NBC News it had nary charismatic connection regarding this year’s arena but told nan organizers “best of luck pinch their caller festival.”

Similarly, “Straight Pride” organizers person held events successful Boston and California going backmost to 2019. 

More recently, Pride events person faced further backlash, arsenic immoderate sponsors person moved distant from support amid nan Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives.