"Idaho Capital to Host 'Fantastic Hetero Gathering' During LGBTQPRIDE Month"
Rewritten Article
Someone is looking to throw a two-day "Straight Power Shindig" right in front of the Idaho state Capitol in Boise this July, coinciding with LGBTQ Pride Month.
Mark Fitzpatrick, the owner of the Old State Saloon in Eagle (a suburb of Boise), is the mastermind behind this event. In reality, it's a follow-up to the establishment's initial "Straight Flaunt Day," held the previous June in response to Pride festivities.
This soon-to-be gala will take place on July 15 and 16 in Cecil D. Andrus Park, directly across from the Capitol, featuring live music, speakers that are bravely defending traditional family values, local food and drinks providers, and more, as revealed in a promotional video on social media.
"This is more than just a party," a voiceover in the video states. "It's a proclamation that faith, family, and freedom are worth standing up for."
The event is currently on the hunt for bands, volunteers, vendors, and sponsors who embody the same values.
"The Straight Power Shindig and Straight Flaunt Day aim to celebrate the traditional family setup and tackle concerns about cultural shifts attributed to liberal progressivism," Fitzpatrick, who's owned the bar for two years, explained in an email. "We aren't targeting any group but are rather trying to raise awareness about practices we deem problematic, such as encouraging ‘transitions’ among children or exposing young ones to mature content."
He added, "We think the traditional family is crucial to society and deserves acknowledgement and protection."
It's interesting to know that Fitzpatrick, 47, shares his life with six kids, one of whom he and his wife of 22 years have adopted.
Fitzpatrick has shared his opinion on social media that Pride Month exists "so the LGBTQ community can march down the street doing bizarre and unlawful acts while demanding to be applauded," and that they "encourage children to cut off their private parts."
He recently released a video on the bar's Instagram account last week, stating that he had reached out to numerous corporations who had donated to LGBTQ Pride activities for their support, only to hear that they usually donate only to registered nonprofits. Consequently, he established the nonprofit Straight Flaunt Inc., responsible for hosting the event, though he hasn't heard back from big-time donors yet.
Fitzpatrick drew international attention and criticism last year following the "Straight Flaunt Day," which he announced would have "no hate whatsoever, it's all about love.”
Fitzpatrick explained to local NBC news outlet KTVB of Boise last year that his inspiration for creating Straight Flaunt Day came from a conversation with his family as they discussed how to celebrate his daughter's birthday in June. "We can't head downtown to Boise in June because of Pride Fest and everything that happens with it," he said. "I veered off the subject of the birthday, and I started thinking to myself, 'What could we do to celebrate in June that would be different from what's going on downtown? Can we be different from Pride’s traditions? What if we celebrated God's design for sexuality? What would that look like?' And it suddenly hit me, 'Heterosexuality is tough!'"
Fitzpatrick confessed that he hadn't attended the Boise Pride event before. The festival hasn't been held in June since 2020, when organizers moved it to September due to the pandemic and decided to maintain the change due to better weather conditions.
Regardless, Fitzpatrick shared that he and the Old State Saloon had decided to celebrate heterosexuality throughout June with various specials. On Mondays, straight men receive a free beer on "Beers for the Testosterone Titans." On Tuesdays, straight women can enjoy drinks at happy hour pricing all day, and on Wednesdays, married heterosexual couples can enjoy discounts on their bill.
After last year's Straight Flaunt Day went viral, Fitzpatrick said he received death threats, but the positivity was overwhelmingly more powerful.
Boise Pride had no official statement regarding this year's Straight Power Shindig but wished the organizers "the best of luck with their new event."
Supporters of "straight pride" events organized similar events in Boston and Modesto, California, in 2019, and last year, several stores in Santa Rosa, California, were vandalized with anti-LGBTQ flyers that provided a link to a rap song about "straight pride."
LGBTQ Pride events, which can trace their roots back to 1970, have faced significant challenges in recent years. LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD reported 110 anti-LGBTQ incidents during June 2024, even though the nonprofit noted that number dropped by 25% compared to Pride 2023. Organizers of some of the country's largest Pride parades have also mentioned that some of their biggest sponsors have dialed back their support this year amid the Trump administration's policies targeting Inclusive Diversity Initiatives (DEI).
- The "Straight Power Shindig" is scheduled to take place in July, right in front of the Idaho state Capitol in Boise, coinciding with LGBTQ Pride Month.
- Mark Fitzpatrick, the owner of the Old State Saloon in Eagle, Idaho, is the organizer of this event, which serves as a follow-up to the establishment's initial "Straight Flaunt Day" held the previous year.
- The two-day event will feature live music, speakers, local food and drinks providers, and more, as revealed in a promotional video on social media.
- Fitzpatrick, who shares his life with six children, including one adopted child, stated that the event aims to celebrate traditional family values and protect the traditional lifestyle from what he perceives as problematic practices.
- The "Straight Power Shindig" also seeks to raise awareness about concerns related to cultural shifts and mature content being exposed to children.
- In a recent video on the bar's Instagram account, Fitzpatrick expressed his difficulty in getting support from corporations that had donated to LGBTQ Pride activities, leading him to establish the nonprofit Straight Flaunt Inc., responsible for hosting the event.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the event, supporters of "straight pride" have organized similar events in cities like Boston and Modesto, California, and have faced backlash in the form of vandalism of stores with anti-LGBTQ flyers in Santa Rosa, California.
