The US city of Boston is set to see a “Straight Pride Parade” sometime this year, as the nation celebrates LGBTIQ+ Pride Month and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots.
The event is being put together by three men under the moniker ‘Super Happy Fun America’, made up of congressional hopeful John Hugo, “gay ambassador” Chris Bartley and ‘Resist Marxism’ and gun rights activist Mark Sahady.
“Super Happy Fun America is committed to creating spaces for people of all identities to embrace the vibrancy of the straight community,” the organisation’s website reads.
“We believe that true diversity is only possible when people of all sexual orientations are free to celebrate their lifestyles.”
The group have also declared actor Brad Pitt as their official mascot.
Speaking to The Washington Post, Hugo promised the event would have a “very famous gay conservative” as a guest speaker, and that the group are calling for the LGBTIQ+ acronym to include an ‘S’ for ‘Straight’.
Sahady also claimed on social media to have filed a discrimination complaint with the City of Boston.
“The City of Boston understands they would lose in litigation,” Sahady wrote. “The city is now working with us on the parade.”
The event has elicited a wave of criticism on social media, spawning memes galore and even drawing the ire of noughties rockers Smash Mouth.
Straight Pride Parade????? FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!
— Smash Mouth (@smashmouth) June 4, 2019
Captain America (AKA Chris Evans) himself has also weighed in on the conversation, taking to Twitter to let the team know about their “cool initiative!”
“Just a thought, instead of ‘Straight Pride’ parade, how about this: The ‘desperately trying to bury our own gay thoughts by being homophobic because no one taught us how to access our emotions as children’ parade,” Evans tweeted.
“Whatta ya think? Too on the nose?”
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh did not directly address the planned event, instead releasing a general statement about Pride.
“Every year Boston hosts our annual Pride Week, where our city comes together to celebrate the diversity, strength and acceptance of our LGBTQ community,” Walsh said.
“This is a special week that represents Boston’s values of love and inclusion, which are unwavering.”
OIP Staff
