Boise, Idaho – June 2025 - Announced with much pathos and grand rhetoric, the self-proclaimed “Hetero Awesome Fest” on June 20 and 21 in Boise turned out to be a prime example of the pitiful attempt to replace social diversity with outdated ideology. Instead of the promised celebration of “traditional family values” with music, speeches, and barbecue, organizer Mark Fitzpatrick – owner of the “Old State Saloon” in Eagle – was met with an almost empty festival ground. Hardly anyone came. Hardly anyone wanted to. The festival, deliberately scheduled to counter Pride Month, was meant, according to Fitzpatrick, to celebrate “Heterosexual Awesomeness” – a concept he had tried to establish last year as its own “month theme” with media fanfare. But rather than mobilizing people, the event was sharply criticized – for its timing, for the saloon’s Instagram posts depicting LGBTQ+ people as part of a “wicked agenda,” and for its open proximity to conspiracy ideology.
While speakers spoke of “faith, family, and freedom” and country singer Michael Austin strummed his guitar, the lawn at Cecil D. Andrus Park remained largely empty. Even generously estimated, fewer than one hundred people showed up – despite a budget that expected at least twice as much revenue from ticket sales. Particularly bitter: Fitzpatrick and his supporters are now publicly asking for donations to cover outstanding security costs exceeding $18,000. The hoped-for money – was supposed to come from attendees who never appeared. Local media such as Idaho News 6 summarized the affair with amusement. On social media, sarcastic comments piled up about the absurd title, the misguided concept, and the embarrassing emptiness. “Look at how much time and money hatred costs,” wrote one user beneath a photo of the deserted festival site.
A completely different picture just a few blocks away on the same weekend: At the long-established Balcony Club, an LGBTQ+-friendly institution in the heart of Boise, the satirical counter-program “But, What About Straight Pride?” took place on June 20 – an evening full of humor, solidarity, and musical performances. The venue and the street were packed. The atmosphere was vibrant. And the message was clear: Queer people are part of our society – and they always will be. The dismal failure of the “Hetero Awesome Fest” is more than just a failed event. It is a signal. In Boise – a city once seen as a conservative stronghold – more and more people are standing up for tolerance, openness, and a community without exclusion. The cultural landscape is shifting – and where the message of diversity resonates, there is hardly any room left for reactionary retreats.
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