Page 14 - ISI_173_AugustSeptember

PAGE 14 SPOTLIGHTS IDAHO SENIOR INDEPENDENT • AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2021

Idaho’s Delayed Pride Celebration

BY KEN LEVY

June was Pride Month. Boise has tra-
ditionally hosted Idaho’s biggest Pride
event, PrideFest, every June with this year
being its 32nd year running. The pandemic,
however, forced organizers to push back the
festivities a few months—to Sept. 10-12.
Michael L. Dale, president/board of
directors of the all-volunteer non-profit
Boise Pride, which organizes the event, said
a record turnout of 80,000 is expected at
this year’s celebration.
The three-day format features enter-
tainment, food, and beer vendors, beginning
Friday from 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday and
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with fire-
works planned for the first night. Exhibit
spaces open up on Saturday, and the Pride
parade is slated for Sunday 10 a.m.

208-523-6404
504 W. Broadway
Idaho Falls
It's Celebration Time Due to varying laws from state to state, Jim Smith (left) and Steve Martin (right), of Boise, Idaho, had to
Wedding ... Anniversary... marry three times. Anniversaries didn’t come easily for LGBTQ+ couples prior to 2015. Photo by Ken Levy.
Reunion... Birthday...
Flowers are for anytime!
Jim Smith, 57, a professor of evolu- From their first meeting, the relation-
AladdinsFloral.com
tion and systematic botany at Boise State ship grew quickly.
University, said the annual celebration “We already had our careers, and we
is where he and his husband get to be a knew we were ready. I’d say we were both
majority, for a day, in a park. looking to be in a long-term relationship
“Suddenly, being LGBTQ+ is the norm with another man,” he said.
for that day,” he said. But anniversaries didn’t come easily
He added the event is no different than for LGBTQ+ couples prior to 2015. Due to
Overhead Door Company of Lewiston-Clarkston ™ the Irish celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in varying laws from state to state, Jim and

We understand how very important repeat customers New York. Steve had to marry three times.
are. That’s why you’ll notice extra personal attention “There have been as many heterosex-
given to every person who comes to us.
ual parents pushing their strollers around
We specialize in: as there are gay people and gay couples,”
• Overhead Door Sales he said.
• Installations and Service Jim and his husband, Steve Martin,
• Manually and Electric Doors
• Remote Control Systems 54, are coming up on 25 years living
• Models for every conceivable application together this year. Steve is the regional
philanthropy officer in Idaho at Pride
Let us have an opportunity to earn your trust.
208-743-8485 or 1-800-950-8485 Foundation. It is not connected to Boise
422 20th St N Lewiston, ID Pride, which organizes the Pride celebra-
tion in the capitol city.
Steve remembered a time when heck-
lers lined up along the Pride parade
route and at the Capitol building during a more pleasant way
the event. But that hasn’t happened in to start your day...
a long time.
“There are more people out there cel- SUBSCRIBE
ebrating with us, and the [city of] Boise
has become incredibly supportive of Boise
Pride and the LGBTQ+ community in gen- ONLINE AT OUR WEBSITE:
eral,” Steve said. “It’s quite an evolution IdahoSeniorIndependent.com
for the city over the past 30 years.”
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T a n m o e b u u OR SEND $15 TO:
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t
The couple met in October 1996 at a
o c m m u . 0656 - 288 ) 802 ( l l a c , y t i n 1985 McMannamy Draw, Kalispell, MT 59901
happy hour with a men’s group at the
Balcony Club in Boise.
“We went on our first date a week later,”
Steve said. “It happened to be National
Coming Out Day, and that actually is our
h t ia f l l A b r o s e r a s f ei le w cle o m . e
wedding anniversary.” • LIKE US ON FACEBOOK
@MontanaSeniorNews
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