Gay rights supporters held a celebration of diversity called "Buttars-palooza" on Saturday on the state capitol South Lawn named for Chris Buttars, the state senator who was removed from two committees late last month for making remarks comparing gays to Muslim extremists and calling them the "worst threat" facing America.

Watch a video report on the event, AFTER THE JUMP…

The Deseret News reports: "There was a DJ and a crew of breakdancers and a few Latin dragqueens. Bonnie Owens offered the toast to Sen. Chris Buttars, R-WestJordan. 'The time for change is upon us,' said Owens, who is transgender. Buttars, reached by phone Saturday, said he didn't know anything aboutthe event and had no comment. 'We're all here to celebrate Chris Buttars,' Robert Bentley said. 'Vivala Buttars. You have brought us together more than 100 rallies could.' The crowd of 300 or so cheered and waved rainbow flags."

The Salt Lake Tribune reported more than three times that many people: "More than a thousand people converged on the Utah Capitol on Saturday, not for legislative protest, but to party. Couples, families and individuals danced on the south lawn to livemusic at 'Buttars-Palooza,' a festival meant to exploit the audacity ofUtah Sen. Chris Buttars' now-famous comments about gays…'The greatest threat toAmerica? I find that offensive,' said Atkinson, a veteran of the Iraqwar. 'It's really revolting, and it's not what I signed up to defend.' Atkinson's wife, Marynell Hinton, noted Buttars' lack of militaryservice, saying: 'for someone to say this is the greatest threat toAmerica is clearly not someone who has ever faced an actual threat inhis life.'"