“Diversity is Cancer”: Internet Rips Canyon County Pride Event

News broke over the weekend, on the verge of June which for many, marks the beginning of 'Pride Month', that there are event organizers in Canyon County hoping to make a new pride celebration a reality.

While there are pride celebrations all across the State of Idaho, with the biggest taking place in Boise, there have not traditionally been pride celebrations in the Nampa or Caldwell area.

Some say that it is because Boise's is so large--it's really the 'local' pride celebration for the Treasure Valley. Others say it's because 'pride' simply isn't welcomed there.

Event organizers posted the following statement on a GoFundMe page, which is seeking help to bring the event together:

This year, over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in legislatures across the nation, threatening the basic civil liberties of LGBTQ+ individuals. We are raising funds for Canyon County's first-ever Pride Festival at Lakeview Park in Nampa. This event is being organized and funded by local LGBTQ+ community members. Your support is crucial in making this event a reality!

Slated for June 9th, not a ton of details are available on the event at this time other than it will take place for only a few hours at Lakeview Park.

In true internet fashion, folks online have chimed in. Some enthusiastically -- but far more, in opposition. It seems the opposition is always the 'vocal majority' on these types of issues.

'Diversity is cancer' writes one man on a local Facebook page. After recently re-elected Brian Lenney shared the news story on his Twitter, one person chimed in 'we need to make them uncomfortable'.

'Send them back to the blue states', another wrote.

While originally, compiling all of the comments seemed like a good idea to show the back and forth, it quickly became obvious: this topic is toxic--and so is the internet.

Imagine waking up and deciding that today, your mission would be to make someone else--that you don't know--uncomfortable. So uncomfortable they can't be themselves or belong in our community. Is the Treasure Valley not better than that?

To learn more about Canyon County Pride Festival, click HERE.