It's not a rally or a protest. It's a party.

Or so says the tag line for "Buttars-Palooza," a festival planned for Saturday in response to Sen. Chris Buttars' recent headline-grabbing anti-gay rant.

"It's a celebration of the fact that we are all Utahns," said co-organizer Michael Mueller. "It's a celebration of our diversity.

In a documentary-film interview released last week, Buttars, a West Jordan Republican, likened members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender [LGBT] community to Muslim radicals and called the group the "greatest threat to America."

Mueller said Saturday's event, which runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on the Utah Capitol's south lawn, will highlight other issues that he says pose greater threats: the economic recession, racial injustice and environmental crises, to name a few.

The festival, named in the tradition of music festival Lollapalooza, also will feature live music and a D.J.

Organizers had hoped to hold the event in Buttars' hometown, but West Jordan city parks are closed to events from November through March.

-- Rosemary Winters