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Social media commentator Perez Hilton reacted to the announcement of an alleged "Hetero Awesome Fest" scheduled to take place during Pride Month. In a post on his self-titled blog (the link to which he shared on X on May 4, 2025), Hilton shared his disapproval of such an event.
"'Hetero Awesome Fest' Planned For Middle Of Pride Month: 'This Is A Joke Right?'" Hilton titled his post.
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According to an NBC News article, published April 30, 2025, Mark Fitzpatrick, the owner of the Old State Saloon in Eagle, Idaho, planned to host a two-day "Hetero Awesome Fest" in June 2025, coinciding with Pride Month. As per the report, Fitzpatrick had shared that the event was inspired by the restaurant’s inaugural “Heterosexual Awesomeness Month,” held in June 2024 in response to Pride celebrations.
Mark Fitzpatrick, had also posted a promotional clip of the event on April 19, 2025, via the official Instagram handle of Old State Saloon in Eagle. In the video, he revealed his plans for the alleged "Hetero Awesome Fest," the dates, and other relevant details.
"In partnership with @heteroawesome, we are throwing a free Heterosexual Awesomeness Festival downtown Boise in front of the capitol building. Mark your calendars for June 20–21," he wrote in the caption.
Referring to the aforementioned video, Perez Hilton criticized both the timing and intent of the event, suggesting it was less about celebrating heterosexuality and more about undermining the LGBTQIA+ community.
In his blog post, Perez Hilton claimed that a "Hetero Awesome Fest" celebrated "in the middle of Pride Month" was a "blatant anti-LGBT protest".
"Last year, Mark Fitzpatrick planned a “Hetero Awesomeness Month” for the entirety of June, and now he’s organized his own festival to… celebrate heterosexuality?" Hilton commented.
What else did Perez Hilton write about the alleged "Hetero Awesome Fest" during Pride Month
In his blog post, Perez Hilton referred to an email that Mark Fitzpatrick wrote to NBC regarding the “Hetero Awesome Fest” during Pride Month.
"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 wrote in the email.
He further went on to say in the email that this event was not a dig against any particular community.
"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," the email continued.
Perez Hilton unpacked this statement by pointing out that while Fitzpatrick insisted the event wasn’t about "targeting any group," the language used in the email and the timing of the event during Pride month suggested it was "targeting the LGBT community as a whole."
"Just be honest and call it what it is: a blatant anti-LGBT protest! If it was really about the nonsense that is "straight pride," why are these people so focused on what the LGBT community is up to?" Hilton added.
Reiterating the fact that the festival was scheduled to be celebrated in the middle of Pride Month, Perez Hilton stated that if Fitzpatrick didn't want to "attack" Pride celebrations in Idaho, he would have set up this festival at some other time of the year.
"They could just stay in their own lane and set it all up for a different time. But no, it’s a blatant attack on Pride," Hilton wrote.
Hilton also remarked that conducting such a festival during Pride month was "just homophobia" being sugarcoated with elaborate names, stating that in 2025, nobody would fall for such tactics.
Currently, Perez Hilton is busy with his YouTube channel, where he shares regular insights on various topics related to the entertainment industry. As for the "Hetero Awesome Fest," it will be held on June 20 and 21 in Cecil D. Andrus Park (as per NBC). Apart from the promotional video, there have been no official updates regarding the event.
