Latest news with #HeterosexualAwesomenessMonth
USA Today
02-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Pride 2025: Why we don't have a month dedicated to 'straight pride'
Pride 2025: Why we don't have a month dedicated to 'straight pride' Show Caption Hide Caption Pride flag colors, explained: Meanings behind the rainbow colors The rainbow Pride flag has become a symbol for the LGBTQ+ community. Here's how the flag came to be and what its colors represent. For the second year in a row, a bar in Ohio is offering deals for "Heterosexual Awesomeness Month," and lawmakers from the state have proposed a "natural family month" that explicitly excludes LGBTQ+ families and celebrates only families led by straight men with children. Utah passed a bill to become the first state to ban Pride flags from flying on any government property, though Nazi flags were allowed, and Idaho passed a similar one. More than 500 bills targeting the LGBTQ+ community have been proposed in 2025 alone, about 2 in 5 corporations are decreasing recognition of Pride Month out of fear of retaliation from the Trump administration and hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender people, are on the rise. In 2023, the Human Rights Campaign declared a National State of Emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans for the first time in its over 40-year history and the FBI reported its highest number of gender identity-based hate crimes to date. Several countries have begun warning their LGBTQ+ citizens about traveling to America and in March, the U.S. was added to the Global Human Rights Watchlist due to declining civil liberties, in part because of the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community. Still, more conservative groups are pushing for a "straight pride" month as an answer to the traditional celebration of Pride Month. The LGBTQ+ community celebrates Pride Month during June to commemorate the Stonewall uprising. But amidst a political and social environment that has become increasingly hostile towards queer people, events and promotions celebrating heterosexuality seem to push back on the celebration. Heterosexuality is the norm, and experts say that creates the need to dedicate a month to LGBTQ+ visibility. Here is more about why America celebrates Pride as a month and why there isn't a month to celebrate straight people. Why don't we have a month dedicated to straight people? Imara Jones, a journalist and founder of non-profit news organization TransLash Media, said we have dedicated months, including Pride, Black History Month and others, because those communities have been historically marginalized. "People have been systemically written out of history and excluded and made invisible," she said. "One of the antidotes to that has been the idea that we will make people more visible and that there needs to be increased visibility in order to counteract that." She also pointed out that the majority of people in the U.S. identify as heterosexual. According to December 2023 data from the UCLA Williams Institute, 5.5% of adults, or 13.9 million people, in the U.S. identify as LGBT. The norms of heterosexuality are widely reflected in mainstream media, she said, mentioning shows like "Bridgerton" and "The Bachelor." She said Pride is about declaring, "This is who I am." Pride Month commemorates Stonewall riots, celebrates community Pride Month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York and celebrates the LGBTQ+ community and the fight for equal rights. The Stonewall Uprising began on June 28, 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a prominent gay bar in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. The protests that followed are credited with a shift in LGBTQ+ activism in the U.S. The following year saw some of the first Pride parades in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Despite the pivotal role transgender people and women of color played in the riots, including trans activist Marsha P. Johnson, they were largely excluded from early Pride celebrations. Today, Pride Month presents an opportunity for visibility and community. In addition to celebrating LGBTQ+ love and joy, it's also a time to highlight important policy and resource issues the community faces. Anti-LGBTQ+ hate, legislation on the rise The last few years have seen waves of legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community. In 2024, more than 500 bills were introduced in state legislatures and 49 of those were signed into law, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This year, at least 588 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced and 57 have been signed into law as of May 30. In 2024, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) saw a 13% increase in the number of anti-LGBTQ+ groups from the previous year and in 2023, it identified an approximately 30% increase in anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups, more than they had ever listed. FBI crime data from 2022 and 2023 showed that anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes were also on the rise, with 2023 data showing that 2,800 incidents reported by the FBI were classified as bias against the victims' sexual orientation or gender identity, accounting for nearly one in four (22.8%) of total hate crimes committed that year. In 2022, the Human Rights Campaign "sounded the alarm" when FBI data showed a 13.8% increase in reports based on sexual orientation and a 32.9% jump in reported hate crimes based on gender identity. And in 2024, GLAAD documented 110 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents in June 2024 alone, while the SPLC recorded at least 74 bomb threats targeting LGBTQ people and events in the same month. Anti-trans bills have specifically been on the rise as the Trump administration has relied on that small population as a major scapegoat in his presidential campaign and, said SPLC, with Texas alone having filed 32 anti-trans bills for the 2025 legislative session. Jones said the political pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion trickles down into Pride celebrations. She has seen intense anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric online seep into real life with real consequences for the community. "We can't ignore... the role of intimidation in all of this, to be quite frank about it," she said. Contributing: Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Idaho bar to host 'Hetero Awesome Fest' during Pride Month
The owner of a bar in Idaho has announced his plans for a "Hetero Awesome Fest" this June to counter LGBTQ+ Pride Month. Sign up for the to keep up with what's new in LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment — delivered three times a week straight (well…) to your inbox! The Old State Saloon bar is in Eagle, a suburb of Idaho's capital city, Boise. Its owner, Mark Fitzpatrick, announced a new event called "Hetero Awesome Fest" to take place this June with the goal to "address concerns about cultural trends influenced by liberal progressivism," per NBC News. Last year, the Old State Saloon announced its "inaugural Heterosexual Awesomeness Month," which included "Hetero Male Mondays." These events promised that "any heterosexual male dressed like a heterosexual male will receive a free draft beer." Wednesdays also became "Heterosexual Couples Day," where heterosexual couples received 15 percent off their bill, per a previous NBC News story. Fitzpatrick has told local news stations that Heterosexual Awesomeness Month was a response to Pride Month "getting so extreme." He specifically mentioned "the imagery that you see all month with parades, and getting to the point of nakedness, and things with people walking down the street, I can't get behind that." Fitzpatrick also told NBC that he hasn't ever actually been to Boise during a Pride event. Now, Fitzpatrick's plans have grown. This year's Hetero Awesome Fest has been scheduled for "two action packed days," June 20 and 21, in Cecil D. Andrus Park (named for a Democratic Idaho governor). Overall, the festival will feature music from bands "that share our vision," food and drinks, vendors, and speakers "who are on the front lines defending traditional family values," according to the event's social media pages. "This festival is more than just an event; it's a declaration that faith, family, and freedom are worth protecting," the video says. "The Hetero Awesome Fest and Heterosexual Awesomeness Month aim to celebrate the traditional family unit and address concerns about cultural trends influenced by liberal progressivism," Fitzpatrick, who has owned the bar for two years, wrote in an email. "Our event is not about targeting any group but about raising awareness of practices we find troubling, such as the encouragement of 'gender transitions' among children or their exposure to inappropriate content." Fitzpatrick has also announced that he launched a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, called Heterosexual Awesomeness, "to celebrate traditional family values and combat the woke mind virus." "What if we celebrated God's design for sexuality? What would that look like? And within a few minutes, I had thought, 'Man, heterosexuality is awesome,'" Fitzpatrick says in a video posted to Instagram. The bar's official Instagram page also features videos talking about "detransitioners," as well as many clips of people promoting debunked conspiracy theories, including "Pizzagate," discourse about the 9/11 attacks, and even content arguing that the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel were "False Flag" events. This story is still developing…
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These Tweets About A "Straight Pride" Festival In Idaho Are So, So, So Funny
Pride month is JUST around the corner! That means, we're on the cusp of the usual "Why don't we have a straight month?" nonsense. Last year, a restaurant in Idaho "celebrated" their own "Heterosexual Awesomeness Month," and this year they're doing "Hetero Awesome Fest." For real. @mattxiv posted about it and the replies are honestly so funny. Related: 9 Gay Movies And TV Shows That Are So Criminally Underrated, I Guarantee You've Never Seen Any Of Them Before People are sharing photos of the attractions that will most likely be there. They're comparing it the "Old Navy $1 flip flop sale." And they're calling it "the worst name I've ever heard for something." Related: Marjorie Taylor Greene Showed My Photo In A DOGE Hearing And Called Me A Monster. Here's Why I'm Fighting Back. "This has gotta be the cringiest thing I've ever heard of," one person said. "See, that title is why straight people don't have their own month," another person chimed in. And this person said the name in and of itself sounds "so unbelievably gay." Anyway, if you need a good laugh, here are more comments: And lastly: Also in LGBT: Today's News Shows Why We Can't Engage With The "Harry Potter" TV Show
Buzz Feed
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
These Tweets About A "Straight Pride" Festival In Idaho Are So, So, So Funny
Pride month is JUST around the corner! That means, we're on the cusp of the usual "Why don't we have a straight month?" nonsense. Last year, a restaurant in Idaho "celebrated" their own"Heterosexual Awesomeness Month," and this year they're doing "Hetero Awesome Fest." For real. @mattxiv posted about it and the replies are honestly so funny. People are sharing photos of the attractions that will most likely be there. "This has gotta be the cringiest thing I've ever heard of," one person said. "See, that title is why straight people don't have their own month," another person chimed in. And this person said the name in and of itself sounds "so unbelievably gay." Anyway, if you need a good laugh, here are more comments: heatherandlace_/ trolomarginal/
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Hetero Awesome Fest' planned for Idaho capitol during LGBTQ Pride Month
The owner of an Idaho bar and restaurant plans to host a two-day 'Hetero Awesome Fest' outside of the state Capitol in Boise in June to coincide with LGBTQ Pride Month. Mark Fitzpatrick, the owner of the Old State Saloon in Eagle, a suburb of Boise, said the event was inspired by the restaurant's inaugural 'Heterosexual Awesomeness Month,' held last June in response to Pride celebrations. Hetero Awesome Fest will be held June 20 and 21 in Cecil D. Andrus Park, directly across the street from the Capitol, and will feature live music, speakers 'who are on the front lines defending traditional family values' and local food and drink vendors, according to a social media video promoting the event. 'This festival is more than just an event,' a voiceover on the video said. 'It's a declaration that faith, family and freedom are worth protecting.' The event is seeking bands, volunteers, vendors and sponsors 'who share our visions.' "The Hetero Awesome Fest and Heterosexual Awesomeness Month aim to celebrate the traditional family unit and address concerns about cultural trends influenced by liberal progressivism," Fitzpatrick, who has owned the bar for two years, told NBC News in an email. "Our event is not about targeting any group but about raising awareness of practices we find troubling, such as the encouragement of 'gender transitions' among children or their exposure to inappropriate content." He added, "We believe the traditional family is vital to society and deserves recognition and protection." Fitzpatrick, 47, said he has six children, including one adopted child, with his wife of 22 years. Fitzpatrick has said on social media that Pride Month exists 'so LGBTQ can march down the street doing disgusting and criminal activities while demanding to be celebrated,' and that the community 'encourages children to cut off their sex organs.' He said in a video shared last week on the bar's Instagram account that he had reached out to a number of corporations who have donated to LGBTQ Pride celebrations over the years to ask if they would support the event, and they told him they typically only donate to registered nonprofits. As a result, he said, he created the nonprofit Heterosexual Awesomeness Inc., which will host the festival, though he hasn't heard back from any major donors yet. Fitzpatrick received international attention and backlash last year in response to 'Heterosexual Awesomeness Month,' which he said at the time involved 'no hate at all, it's a love thing.' 'I'm always going to side with what God says,' Fitzpatrick told KTVB-TV, an NBC affiliate in Boise, last year. 'If the Bible says that it's a sin to act out in homosexuality, then I'm going to agree with what the Bible says. That doesn't mean I don't love homosexuals, and that doesn't mean I don't love people. But just because you love somebody, doesn't mean you're going to jump behind them and support them in every single decision they make in life. It's not a requirement.' Fitzpatrick said on social media that he was inspired to create Heterosexual Awesomeness Month last year when he and his family were discussing how they would celebrate his daughter's birthday in June. 'Can't go downtown to Boise during that time because of Pride Fest and everything that happens with it,' he said. 'I got off track from the birthday, and I was thinking to myself, 'What could we do to celebrate in June that would be different than what's going on downtown? Can we be different than what Pride has been celebrating every June? What if we celebrated God's design for sexuality? What would that look like?' And within a few seconds, I thought, 'Man, heterosexuality is awesome.'' Fitzpatrick said last year that he had never been to Boise Pride. The festival hasn't been held in June since 2020, when organizers rescheduled it for September due to the pandemic and decided to permanently adopt the change due to better weather, among other factors. Regardless, Fitzpatrick said he had decided that the Old State Saloon would celebrate heterosexuality throughout June with a variety of specials. On Mondays, straight men can get a free beer during 'Beers for Breeders.' On Tuesdays, straight women can buy drinks all day at happy hour pricing, and on Wednesdays, straight couples can receive a discount on their bill. After last year's Heterosexual Awesomeness Month went viral, Fitzpatrick said he received death threats, but that the positivity was 'overwhelmingly more powerful.' Boise Pride told KGW-TV, an NBC affiliate based in Portland, Oregon, that it has no official statement regarding this year's Hetero Awesome Fest, but wished the organizers 'the best of luck with their new festival.' 'Straight pride' supporters organized events in Boston and Modesto, California, in 2019, and last year several businesses 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 trace their roots to 1970, have faced intense backlash in recent years. GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy organization, recorded 110 anti-LGBTQ incidents during June 2024, though the nonprofit noted that number was down 25% when compared to Pride 2023. Organizers of some of the country's largest Pride parades have also reported that some of their biggest sponsors have pulled back this year amid the Trump administration's policies targeting DEI initiatives. This article was originally published on
