BONNERS FERRY, Idaho – The first LGBTQ+ pride event to take place in Bonners Ferry will be hosted at the Historic Pearl Theater from June 21 to 23.
Program Director McCallum Morgan says that the idea for the event began when new residents in Bonners Ferry asked if there were Pride Month events in the town of about 2,500 people.
“The interest in the event just kind of exploded. It’s been interesting to see how many people in the LGBTQ+ community are actually in this town and county,” Morgan said.
During an early 2024 which has posed multiple struggles for north Idaho’s ability to be perceived as an inclusive space nationally, the Bonners Ferry event signals that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Idahoans are out and proud in the Gem State.
Bobby Wire-Roberson, the Entertainment Director for this year’s pride, looks forward to cultivating inclusivity in Bonners Ferry.
“When I was growing up I did not have advocates. I didn’t have places to go and people to talk to. I think us doing this at the Pearl Theater is going to open up a lot of avenues for locals who are LGBTQ+ or allies who want to participate,” Wire-Roberson said.
Wire-Robertson is a fixture of the north Idaho drag performance scene and has a history of inspiring the local LGBTQ+ community even in the face of intimidation.
In 2022, Wire-Robertson was the host at Coeur d’Alene Pride when a U-Haul full of white supremacist gang “Patriot Front” members in riot gear were arrested just before they planned to emerge from the vehicle and start a riot.
“I was on stage announcing my next performer as I got wind that the Patriot Front were down the road, so security is a big thing for me,” Wire-Robertson said.
To keep attendees of Bonners Ferry pride safe and secure during the event, Wire-Robertson has hired a private security firm and the event will be ticketed so that suspicious people can be refused at the door. The security firm as well as the ticketing for the event will be nonprofit and support next year’s pride programming.
“In small little towns, we need to take safety and security to a heightened amount,” Wire-Robertson said.
The event will mark a step-forward for LGBTQ+ inclusion in Bonners Ferry and is an exciting moment for many community members.
“I grew up here, and there was basically no representation at all in this town, but now that I know that there are so many more of us here. It’s super important that the people that live in Bonners Ferry who are LGBTQ+ know that they’re not alone,” Morgan said.
The event will take place exclusively in-doors and will feature music, poetry readings, speakers and a movie marathon. All of the day programming will be family-friendly and an 18+ afterparty will take place at 8pm on Saturday.
General admission tickets for the event will be $5, and all revenue generated for the event will go to planning the next Bonners Ferry pride event.
It is clear that this June will mark a special moment in LGBTQ+ history for northern Idaho and the residents of Bonners Ferry.
