A Letter from the Organizer

Dear Friend, I bought the domain. Things escalated.

Old State Saloon is for sale. People saw the listing and had the same thought: someone should buy it and turn it into a gay bar. I started the GoFundMe because I want us to be the people who actually try.

Then I gave the place a website. Apparently I have strong opinions about both civil rights and porch signage.

The building matters. It’s in the middle of Eagle, with a porch, a history, and a reputation. The same address can mean something different to the next person who walks through the door. I want LGBTQ+ people to know this place is for them.

At night: drag, DJs, live music, dancing, and a room full of people having a good time. During the day: workshops, local art, community meetings, and space for groups that need somewhere to gather. Some uses free, others at reduced rates, with rentals helping support the parts that exist because they’re useful.

I want the good to keep circulating. The current plan is to dedicate 2% to 5% of the venue’s weekly proceeds to civil-rights and human-rights work in Idaho, with the calculation published before opening. A good week for the bar should mean something beyond the bar.

The acquisition is the objective. The plan lays out what donations pay for, the work before opening, and where remaining funds go if the purchase cannot happen.

If this is a future you want to walk into, help us buy the place. Donate through GoFundMe, send the site to a friend, or forward it to someone with an irresponsibly large amount of money.

We already named the sequel. Let’s get it a building.