An Idaho bar complained about "significant backlash" after it declared June to be "heterosexual awesomeness month" and promised to give free beer to "any heterosexual male dressed like a heterosexual male."
In a post made to the fundraising website GiveSendGo, the Old State Saloon in Eagle, Idaho alleged that it experienced backlash including, "theft of our property, vendors refusing to fulfill our orders for ingredients, wedding catering cancelation [sic], libel, slander - even the owner being falsely accused of being a sex offender!"
The saloon first announced in late May that it would "celebrate heterosexuals" in June because "without them, none of us would be here." In addition to offering free beer to straight men, the bar also promised straight couples 15% percent off their bills every Wednesday.
The initial announcement prompted criticism both on social media and in the local press. Michael Deeds, an opinion columnist for the Idaho Statesman described the decision as "transparent bigotry" and "thinly veiled hate," in a May 31 column.
The saloon doubled down on their promotion in follow-up posts, while adding that they "love" LGBTQ+ patrons but "wish they all knew Jesus as their savior."
Old State Saloon also posted to Facebook on Tuesday, claiming that the business saw its biggest Monday sales ever - even as it continued to collect donations on GiveSendGo.
Across much of the world, people celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride in June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots. On June 28, 1969, the New York Police Department raided the Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village and attempted to arrest any person whose clothing did not align with the sex listed on their identification.
While these raids were common in gay bars, Stonewall descended into chaos when men refused to show their IDs and women alleged that the police officers were sexually and physically assaulting them. The subsequent backlash to the police raid is now considered to be a pivotal moment in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.
