'Straight Pride' Parade Idea Not Going Over Well

Boston's annual Pride parade happens Saturday, and if one man has his way, it will be followed up in a couple months with a Straight Pride parade. John Hugo, president of a group called Super Happy Fun America, says "We want people to be aware that there is not only one side of things. There’s a lot of people that are uncomfortable with a lot of things that are going on in our country and they’re afraid to speak up." Hence the Straight Pride parade that Hugo, who ran for Congress as a Republican last fall but lost, wants to organize in Boston for August along the same route as the Pride parade. However, as CBS Boston reports, the idea is not going over well: "Come on, I don’t know what this straight pride parade is all about. I know that we have a pride parade on Saturday and that’s what I’m going to march in," said the city's mayor. And the idea has drawn backlash on social media (even from Axe Body Spray) and headlines like "Boston's Straight Pride Parade Is Even Worse Than You Think."

A quick look at the group's website reveals a press release about the parade that notes it is pending city approval, such slogans as "LGBTQ is now LGBTQS. The 'S' is for Straight. It's more inclusive this way," the naming of Brad Pitt as the group's mascot (we assume without Pitt's knowledge or permission), and a number of memes so over the top one has to wonder whether the whole thing is serious. The New York Times raises that same question, and notes there's no clear answer, but reports that the group has, in the past, made an official request to raise a "straight pride" flag at City Hall; the request was denied. Hugo insists the whole thing is "lighthearted" and claims one of the group's organizers is gay, but the Times points out that another organizer is also involved with a group connected to an alt-right figure. Stephen Colbert mocked the whole idea Wednesday night on his show, Boston.com reports, managing to get in some good Smash Mouth jokes during the bit. (Fifty years later, NYPD apologizes for Stonewall raid.)