Last Thursday, an organizer of the Boston Straight Pride Parade announced that the event would likely take place this coming August. On Tuesday, another organizer confirmed to PJ Media that the event is real and serious. In fact, he even predicted that the straight pride flag will fly over Boston City Hall.
Last month, Super Happy Fun America (SHFA) reported that Boston Mayor Marty Walsh had denied its request to fly the straight pride flag above City Hall. In response, the organization announced, “we have determined that a parade would be the best way to promote our community and its diverse history, culture, and identity.”
“For now, it’s necessary to remind the city that they are legally obligated to treat straight people the same as people of other sexual orientations. MGL c.272, s.98 prohibits discrimination based upon sexual orientation in places of public accommodation,” SHFA wrote, using the sexual orientation gender identity (SOGI) law against its intended purpose.
“The Mass Commission Against Discrimination is going after the City of Boston for refusing us the flagpole, but everything else is moving along nicely,” John Hugo, a 2018 Republican candidate for Congress in Massachusetts and SHFA president, told PJ Media on Tuesday.
When asked if he thinks SHFA will get the flag put up at City Hall, Hugo said their chances are “very good if the courts move fast enough. Straight IS a sexual orientation after all.”
At first, this reporter thought the Super Happy Fun America organization was a hoax. The website features the tagline, “It’s great to be straight,” and an image of smiley faces in suits.
Super Happy Fun America straight pride website screenshot.
The website also features a woman in a “Make America Great Again” headband saying, “LGBTQ is not LGBTQS. The ‘S’ is for Straight. It’s more inclusive this way.”
It also features a quote from Hugo: “Straight people are an oppressed majority. We will fight for the right of straights everywhere to express pride in themselves without fear of judgment and hate. The day will come when straights will finally be included as equals among all of the other orientations.”
Super Happy Fun America straight pride website screenshot.
The website also honors actor Brad Pitt as its “mascot.” “The Straight Community as adopted Brad Pitt as our mascot! Congratulations to Mr. Pitt for being the face of this important civil rights movement,” it reads. “Straight Rights are Human Rights!”
Super Happy Fun America straight pride website screenshot.
When asked about the seriousness of the website, Hugo said, “We made the website funny on purpose to keep it light-hearted and as a foil to the haters. But yes, we are serious.”
Boston City Hall confirmed that SHFA has been in contact with the city but has not yet received the permits to host a parade.
“Every year Boston hosts our annual Pride Week, where our city comes together to celebrate the diversity, strength and acceptance of our LGBTQ community,” Mayor Walsh said in a statement. “This is a special week that represents Boston’s values of love and inclusion, which are unwavering. I encourage everyone to join us in celebration this Saturday for the Pride Parade and in the fight for progress and equality for all.”
“We met with city officials already and got approval,” Hugo told PJMedia. “There is just a lot of red tape to go through.”
He also teased, but could not confirm, that a famous openly gay conservative will be speaking at the Straight Pride Parade in August. “We actually have a famous gay conservative speaking. You can probably guess who,” Hugo said.
News of the parade went viral when Carolyn Ryan, the assistant managing editor of The New York Times, tweeted a screenshot from Mark Sahady, vice president of SHFA.
“‘Straight Pride’ parade planned in Boston. With floats,” Ryan tweeted on Tuesday morning.
“Straight Pride” parade planned in Boston. With floats. pic.twitter.com/JcTsGRjNPn
— carolynryan (@carolynryan) June 4, 2019
“It looks like the Boston Straight Pride Parade will happen. We filed a discrimination complaint and it appears the City oof Boston understands they would lose in litigation,” Sahady said in the post last Thursday afternoon. “The city is now working with us on the parade.”
The purported organizer shared a photo of the planned parade route on Google Maps. “We will have the streets closed and be allowed floats and vehicles. The tentative date is 8/31 but will be finalized in the next few weeks. The proposed parade route is below. If you would like to come as an individual, march as a group, or bring a float or vehicle, then get in touch. This is our chance to have a patriotic parade in Boston as we celebrate straight pride.”
The parade has received a great deal of criticism, specifically from LGBT activists who argue that the idea of straight pride is noxious because straight people have not been discriminated against. The band Smash Mouth even tweeted, “Straight Pride Parade????? F**K OFF!!!!!!!!”
Straight Pride Parade????? FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!
— Smash Mouth (@smashmouth) June 4, 2019
Yet some have pointed out that straight people should have every right to parade, just like LGBT people.
Right now, "Straight Pride Parade," is trending on Twitter & the left is having a meltdown.
I have *no problem* with heterosexuals celebrating love.
They have every right to parade through the streets, just as I do.
— #ThePersistence (@ScottPresler) June 4, 2019
The Straight Pride Parade may be silly, but these people have the right to parade, just like the LGBT people do. It also seems like they’ll have their flag on City Hall.
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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