Jun 2
Did You Know June Is 'Heterosexual Awesomeness Month?' Idaho Bar Deems It So
READ TIME: 4 MIN.
It was 25 years ago that Bill Clinton named June Gay and Lesbian Pride Night, and the Biden Administration honored the event on Saturday, June 1 with a proclamation posted on X:
"Happy Pride Month! This month and every month, our Administration celebrates the extraordinary courage of LGBTQI+ people and proudly stands with them in the fight for equality, justice, and inclusion."
But in the first season since the Dylan Mulvaney controversy, conservatives have their knives out on queer culture, expressing some smokingly ugly rhetoric. Newsweek reports that "Andrew Tate, a controversial American-British social media personality, posted to X Saturday morning: 'Today is June 1, 2024 and Pride Month is demonic brainwashing by pedophiles attempting to indoctrinate straight peoples children.' His post received nearly 6,100 reposts and 40,000 likes as of Saturday afternoon."
Perhaps because she just never asked, but conservative political commentator Tomi Lahren wonders in a X post, "I guess it's pride month. I still don't understand why there needs to be an entire month dedicated to sexual preference. But here we are."
Not to be undone, a bar in Idaho has proclaimed June "Heterosexual Awesomeness Month" claiming that without them "none of us would be here."
"Old State Saloon in Eagle, Idaho, which is just outside of Boise, announced this past Wednesday that each Monday would be 'Hetero Male Monday,'" reports the Daily Mail. Any man dressed 'like a heterosexual male' will be entitled to a free draught beer, according to a Facebook post from the bar.
In a subsequent comment, the bar also said it was seeking applicants to judge if male patrons that come on Mondays have straight enough clothing - who will be paid $15 an hour plus a free beer. Not only that, but any straight couple that comes into the bar on Wednesdays will get 15 percent off their tab.
We take it they won't be viewing "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" on Friday Nights.
After the bar got pushback, the owners posted on Facebook: "We hear lots of people are upset about Heterosexual Awesomeness Month! Please know: 1) We love our LGBTQ+ patrons! 2) We will not be changing our mind and give into the group of those who are responding with vitriol. 3) ALL are welcome to come celebrate heterosexuality with us in June!
Featuring:
A) Hetero Male Mondays - 1 free pint for any hetero male, all day.
B) Duo Deal Wednesday - 15% off everything for any hetero couple
C) Her Hetero Happy Hour - HH prices for hetero females on Thursdays, all day
D) Hetero Awesomeness T-shirts coming soon!"
But a visit to the bar's website saw a gay red flag if there ever was one:
'NOW SERVING A FULL ESPRESSO MENU STARTING AT 6AM' reads the text inside a gold box.
The local newspaper The Idaho Statesman has long been familiar with the Bar's antics for attention. "No stranger to pot-stirring, Old State Saloon's latest unfortunate stunt has incited a predictable ruckus: nearly 700 Facebook comments in less than 24 hours – and counting. Instagram is a similar cluster. It's both sad and funny. "An all-male Monday sounds pretty gay to me," one guy wisecracked. Old State Saloon claims to have banned about 25 negative Facebook commenters for "using horrific words, expletives, using the name of the Lord in vain, etc."
The Statesman continues, pointing out other events found at the Old State Saloon: "Fueled by a stream of social media posts, it traffics in eye-catching promotions – often unusual ones – focusing on far-right politics. "Truth seeker" events. And religion. "Conspiracy Theory Trivia" with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle as a prize. "Open Carry Coffee" mornings with holstered handguns. "Worship Nights," Bible study groups and "Christian Singles Mingle." A "Nefarious Vaccine Agenda" event. And let's not forget the "NASA Lies and Flat Earth" presentation coming next week."
And Drag Queen Story Hour on Sunday?
One visitor to the bar's Facebook page put the stunt in perspective: Jenna Nash commented below the bar's post, taking issue with the idea of 'Hetero Male Monday.'
'Every day is hetero day. They're not a marginalized group, they're the norm. I don't care if you are glad you're straight but pointing out your hetersexuality [sic] during gay pride month is an affront, is othering and creates separation and discord,' she wrote.