A so-called “Heterosexual Awesomeness” festival in Boise, Idaho, turned into a cautionary tale of overpromising and under-delivering, drawing only dozens of attendees to what organizers claimed would be a high-energy celebration of “family values with guts.”
The event, held at Cecil D. Andrus Park and organized by bar owner Mark Fitzpatrick, was billed as an anti-woke, God-centered answer to Pride events. Fitzpatrick declared it would “obliterate the anti-family noise.” But the only thing obliterated seemed to be the crowd size.
Things took a turn when openly pro-LGBTQ musician Daniel Hamrick took the stage. Stripping off his shirt to reveal a “Keep Canyon County Queer” tee and a rainbow-patched jacket, Hamrick performed his song “Boy” — a haunting piece about a trans child enduring forced conformity and societal cruelty. (VIDEO) The livestream cut out mid-song.
Fitzpatrick rushed the stage, took the mic, and later told KTVB,
“This is yet another example of lies and deceptions from the Pride community… pathetic and evil.”
This isn’t the first failed “Straight Pride” event. From Seattle to Boston, past efforts have drawn tiny crowds, larger counter-protests, and in one case, a solo marcher with cardboard signs. The message from these events remains clear: hate doesn’t sell — not even with food trucks.
