Group to organize 'Straight Pride' parade in Boston, appoints Milo Yiannopoulos as mascot after Brad Pitt snub
June is officially observed as LGBTQ Pride month in countries around the world with thousands coming out in full force to celebrate the impact LGBTQ people have had throughout history.
Now, in a move that can be perceived as incendiary, a group led by three men has expressed their intent to organize a parade in Boston to celebrate "Straight Pride."
Super Happy Fun America, who say they advocate "on behalf of the straight community in order to build respect, inclusivity, equality, diversity" and encourage "everyone to embrace our community’s diverse history, culture, and identity regardless of sexual orientation," will be organizing the event.
The group has announced that the Straight Pride parade will be held to "achieve inclusivity and spread awareness of issues impacting straights in Greater Boston and beyond."
They said it will be a one-day event that will consist of a parade followed by a flag-raising ceremony where the 'Blue and Pink' flag will be raised over Boston City Hall. They also said there would be speeches and "outreach to the community" and that they invited Mayor Martin J. Walsh to "participate and express the city’s support for the straight community."
If their blog is to be believed, it appears as though the parade is being organized in response to the city's rejection of their application to raise their "straight pride flag" at Boston City Hall earlier this year.
"We are disappointed [sic] that the Walsh administration has chosen hate and discrimination," the post read. "Therefore, we have decided to launch a campaign to educate the public, politicians, and civil servants about the straight community and the unique problems we face. We have determined that a parade would be the best way to promote our community and its diverse history, culture, and identity. We anticipate that the city will eventually choose to embrace tolerance and inclusivity."
The mascot of the parade is set to be just as controversial as the parade itself: Milo Yiannopoulos. The announcement came after Brad Pitt, who was previously being used as the face of the movement, ordered the group to stop using his name and likeness to promote their "event," and threatened legal action otherwise.
Yiannopoulos has been a controversy magnet, facing criticism for openly soliciting neo-Nazis and white nationalists, and seemingly supporting pedophilia, the latter allegation emerging as a result of multiple clips where he insists sexual relationships between 13-year-old boys and adult men and women can be "perfectly consensual" and positive experiences for the boys.
He was permanently banned from Twitter in 2016 for a racist harassment campaign against African-American actress Leslie Jones in what the company described as "inciting or engaging in the targeted abuse or harassment of others."
Following his comments on the Christchurch Mosque Shootings where he suggested the killings happened because “the establishment panders to and mollycoddles extremist leftism and barbaric, alien religious cultures," the Australian government rejected his visa application to enter the country in March. He was then permanently banned from Facebook last month.
Speaking after his appointment as the Straight Pride mascot, Yiannopoulos said, "I’ve spent my entire career advocating for the rights of America’s most brutally repressed identity—straight people—so I know a thing or two about discrimination."
"This parade is a gift to anyone, male or female, black or white—gay and transgender allies, too!—who will stand with us and celebrate the wonder and the majesty of God’s own heterosexuality. Men, bring your most toxic selves. Women, prepare to burn your briefcases! Because it’s great to be straight, and we’re not apologizing for it anymore. We’re Here, Not Queer."
Super Happy Fun America has reportedly asked for the same parade route as June's Boston Pride Parade, as well as the same "accommodations" on offer for the annual event, including street closings and the inclusion of vehicles and floats.
MEA WorldWide reached out to Boston Pride regarding the Straight Pride parade, the group said they welcome "everyone to march in the Pride Parade this Saturday, June 8."
"We know that straight allies of the LGBTQ community are among the thousands of supporters who come out every year to march, observe and celebrate," a statement read. "We are looking forward to seeing our straight friends, family, and neighbors at the Boston Pride parade and festival this Saturday along with members of the LGBTQ community. In the meantime, we are focused on putting on our largest Boston Pride parade ever."
Several celebrities have come out in the wake of the announcement of the Straight Pride parade to slam the event. "Wow! Cool initiative, fellas!!" Chris Evans tweeted sarcastically. "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? Whatta ya think? Too on the nose??"
Others such as George Takei, Whitney Cummings, Andy Ritcher, and Drag Queen Ginger Minj have also come out to question the intentions behind organizing such an event during LGBTQ Pride month.
As much as it has been criticized, Walsh has said that the city of Boston cannot stop the parade based on people's disagreements with the cause as permits to host a public event are granted based on "operational feasibility, not based on values or endorsements of beliefs."
While the group does not have a permit yet, they claimed that the parade would take place on Monday, June 10th at 1 PM Eastern Standard Time in their latest blog post.
Super Happy Fun America did not respond to MEAWW's request for comment.