Libertarians nationwide are convening in New Hampshire starting today for the annual meeting of PorcFest, one of the largest gatherings of libertarian figures and advocates in the United States. The event will last seven days, ending on Sunday of this week.
The Porcupine Freedom Festival, more popularly referred to as just “PorcFest,” is the flagship annual event of the Free State Project, a group operating in New Hampshire trying to attract 20,000 libertarians to move to the Granite State to influence local policy and culture. The gathering, held each year at Roger’s Campground in Northern New Hampshire, is in its 20th year. Besides panels, presentations, and educational opportunities for advocates, the event is known for its bustling social scene and decentralized approach to platforming various topics popular in the libertarian sphere.
Organizations and participants of PorcFest are organized into diverse sections known as “hubs” that cater to various interests and event themes. This year, prominent groups such as the Libertarian Party, Lions of Liberty Lair, the Shire Society, Psychonautica, and the Libertarian Institute have established their own unique hubs. PorcFest also boasts that they treat vendors, venues, and lounges, all considered hub variations, no differently than any camper, lending to the gathering’s decentralized, egalitarian reputation. At the core of this hub network, a principal road called the Silk Road pays homage to its namesake darknet market, which was closed by the FBI in 2013 and saw the arrest of Ross Ulbricht.
An assortment of speakers is attending this year’s PorcFest, including several presidential aspirants, libertarian commentators and academics, and individuals associated with the major parties now outwardly critical of the current system.
Presidential hopefuls formally addressing PorcFest as featured speakers include Vivek Ramaswamy, a biopharmaceutical entrepreneur and member of the Republican Party known for his opposition to Big Tech and Critical Race Theory, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democrat and member of the Kennedy family who has become popular in some libertarian circles over his position on vaccinations and the COVID-19 pandemic, and Larry Elder, a Republican radio host from California and former gubernatorial candidate. Several Libertarian presidential candidates are also present but not listed as formal featured speakers, including Mike ter Maat and Lars Mapstead. The Libertarian National Committee will host a presidential forum for Libertarian hopefuls at its hub later this weekend.
Dennis Kucinich and Tulsi Gabbard, both one-time Democratic presidential candidates and former members of Congress known for bucking the establishment, will also be speaking. In addition, there are over a dozen vocal Libertarian thinkers named as featured speakers, including Jeffrey Tucker, Tom Woods, Matt Kibbe, Maj Toure, and David Friedman.
While the list of PorcFest speakers is extensive, it is far from exhaustive, as it does not account for individual speakers and personalities appearing at respective hubs. The Libertarian National Committee hub, for instance, will feature several prominent party figures and interparty discussions. Supporters can expect discussions on contemporarily relevant party topics such as “Dairy Queen Story Hour” presented by Jeremy Kauffman, “Escape from Clown World” with LNC Chair Angela McArdle, and Scott Horton’s reflection on “The Libertarian Party Now & In the Future.” Carla Howell, Keith Knight, and Jack V. Lloyd are also expected to speak on various Libertarian Party hub topics.
In the weeks leading up to PorcFest, the event has attracted some controversy. A notable incident occurred earlier this Spring when Maj Toure found himself at odds with Libertarian supporters of a Drag Queen Story Hour event, a dispute that resulted in his Twitter ban following a series of remarks Toure made on the topic. Maj Toure, a Libertarian musician and founder of Black Guns Matter, has frequently spoken out against Drag Queen Story Hour, sometimes with threats of violence. Toure will be speaking at the Libertarian Party hub later this week.
Meanwhile, the decision to welcome Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has stirred external dissent in the Democratic Party, ultimately leading to a chastisement from the Chair of the New Hampshire Democrats. Ray Buckley, Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, warned RFK Jr. last week that Democrats would see attending Porcfest as an endorsement of the Free State Project and “its radical goals.”
“Porcfest is sponsored by the libertarian extremist organization called Free State Project. We respect your dedication to public service and your family’s irreplaceable role in the history of our Republic. However, we must express our serious disappointment and grave concerns about your planned participation in this event,” a letter recently sent to RFK Jr. and reported upon by the Conway Daily Sun reads. “As a candidate for the presidency and a figure who commands considerable public attention, your presence at PorcFest will be seen as an endorsement of the Free State Project and its radical goals.”
At this time, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is still scheduled to speak at PorcFest. Kennedy’s topic, entitled “Cronyism’s Control of DC: Covid, War, Climate,” is slated for presentation on Thursday morning.
Whether Drag Queen Story Hour should be “banned” or not isn’t really relevant to what’s going on here.
For one thing, it’s not any kind of official “PorcFest” event. All kinds of events occur on and around Rogers Campground without the PorcFest organizers’ approval or even knowledge. Whether it’s allowed is entirely a matter for the campground owners to decide (and to explain to people who have rented space and expect to do what they damn well please in that space).
For another, Martin Anthony Jones, alias “Maj Toure,” didn’t call for it to be banned. He threatened to assault anyone who held such an event in his area, and then threatened to come back and assault them again when he got out on bail, and then preemptively declared the campground his area. Rather odd, since he has to know that a lot of PorcFest attendees go armed and would likely put him down like a rabid dog if he pulled that shit, but that’s the major issue.
As for Drag Queen Story Hour, it’s not especially complicated. If you don’t want your kids to attend Drag Queen Story Hour, don’t take them to Drag Queen Story Hour. “Problem” solved.
Hi George. Why? Why should drag queens not have the opportunity to read books to children? What is the interest that supports the use of government force in a case like that? Should a woman dressed in jeans and a shirt be banned as well?
I agree with Maj. Drag Queen Story Hour should be banned.