Boise’s Pride flag stunt backfires as event canceled after low ticket sales

An attempt to circumvent a state ban on pride flags has flopped after organizers canceled a Pride Season Kickoff event in Boise, Idaho, due to low expected attendance. 

The blue city in a red state passed a resolution in early May designating the LGBTQ pride flag as an official city flag after state lawmakers banned the display of non-governmental flags on government property. 

Salt Lake City, Utah, took similar action, unveiling versions of its city flag that incorporated the pride flag in an effort to get around a comparable law passed in that state. 

Boise Pride had planned to hold its first-ever kickoff event Friday, but it was canceled after a lack of commitments to attend. The event was intended to be the first of several celebrations leading up to the city’s annual Pride Festival in September. 

“We created the Pride Season Kickoff to bring more Pride to June, based on community demand,” the organization posted online. “But despite strong interest, attendance didn’t reach the level needed to hold the event responsibly. As a result, the June 6 event is canceled and all tickets have been refunded.” 

Online reactions included calls for a return to what tolerance used to be. 

“I think the far left has not gotten the message that we are a ‘live and let live’ society, not a ‘live and you must agree, society,” posted one person. “I have no problem if there are flags or rallies. I even participate in some!! But the meanness, accusations, and outright physical violence the far left and at least SOME of their believers practice or resort to, have more than tipped the scale of balance.” 

A user named Motocross73 responded to that comment with, “All of it used to be accepted, albeit weird, and everyone carried on with their business. But then beginning (in) 2021 the federal government began campaigning for it and shoving it down our throats. That is when I stopped supporting it.”