Event organizers have pulled the plug on a Pride “Season Kick-Off” in Boise, Idaho, after failing to sell enough tickets. In a post on Instagram, Boise Pride announced that “attendance didn’t reach the level needed to hold the event responsibly. As a result, the June 6 event is cancelled and all tickets have been refunded.” The post continued, “We remain committed to growing Pride in Boise — but it takes more than excitement. It takes showing up.” The group also clarified that their aspirations to hold the event have not been fully dashed yet, saying, “We hope to bring this event back in the future — stronger and together.”
Some Idahoans have expressed their relief over the canceled event and the broader shift away from the LGBTQ agenda. Blaine Conzatti, the president of Idaho Family Policy Center, told The Washington Stand, “Put simply, the American people are fed up with the increasingly radical Pride agenda — and the rainbow crowd has overplayed their hand. This year — as in years past — Boise Pride organized a ‘Pride Month Kick Off.’ This event generated so little interest in the community that the organizers were forced to cancel.”
Conzatti believes that the election served as a “litmus test” on the Pride issue. “The lesson is that using taxpayer dollars to push radical LGBT ideologies in our schools, our businesses, and our military is not only morally problematic, but also wildly unpopular,” Conzatti said.
The cancellation comes amid a national shift away from Pride, as the corporate world has started withdrawing some of its support from parades in major cities like New York. According to The New York Times, 25% of corporate sponsors have either withdrawn or heavily reduced their financial sponsorship for the Heritage of Pride, which is the organization that produces New York Pride. The organization reportedly is now $750,000 short, which is forcing the group to consider charging for events. Conzatti pointed out, “You also see the backlash in the corporate world, where many woke businesses are beginning to disassociate from Pride advocacy simply because they can no longer afford to ostracize large portions of their customer base.”
According to Conzatti, the battle is not over for Christians working for cultural change. “As with any spiritual battle, the first line of defense is to take a knee. If we’re going to gain ground for biblical principles in the public square, we must begin with prayer. We know from James 5:16 that the earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power. But prayer must also be followed by action.”
Still, there are signs of success. “Politically progressive businesses are finally waking up after their customers and communities began saying that enough is enough,” Conzatti underscored. “Coordinated efforts to contact the businesses can yield real results. For example, Idaho Family Policy Center has led a multi-year campaign to demand that St. Luke’s Medical Center (the largest private employer in Idaho) stop flying the Pride flag outside of their hospitals and clinics in June. This year, St. Luke’s announced that they would not be flying the Pride flag outside of their facilities — a huge win for biblical values in the public square.”
