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Here’s what we know about the event, and the people behind it.
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But the organizers and some featured guests have ties to far-right organizations, and many say the parade is a thinly veiled attempt to express anti-diversity sentiments. Its organizers say their group aims to advocate on behalf of the straight community, and the parade is inclusive and welcomes all.
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The organization will have right-wing commentator and provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos - who’s gay - as the grand marshal of the parade.Organizers of the "Straight Pride" parade, from left: John Hugo, Mark Sahady and Samson Racioppi (Courtesy of Super Happy Fun America) This article is more than 2 years old.Ī controversial "Straight Pride" parade is set to step off Saturday in Boston. Hugo’s organization’s tongue-in-cheek website touted actor Brad Pitt as the “Straight Community mascot” - though the actor told them to cut it out - and advocates adding an “S” for straight to “LGBTQ” - the acronym for the lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual and queer community.
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Hugo wouldn’t elaborate on Tuesday about what floats the straight pride parade would feature, but said he expects several hundred people to come out for the event. The application says they’ll bring 20 security people. Hugo said he expects trouble - and he plans to have his own security team in place along the parade route, which he wants to run through downtown. 31, has said the parade is aimed at protesting “some serious heterophobia” in Boston. John Hugo, the president of the “Super Happy Fun America” organization that’s putting together the event planned for Aug. The parade, which made national news earlier this month, was the butt of jokes online from various celebrities, politicians and general wisecrackers. The permit approved for the parade says the event will include “live music,” “amplified sound” and “dancing,” and 2,000 people are expected to attend. Walsh’s office said the decision on which flags to fly is “at the city’s sole and complete discretion,” and the city “maintains selectivity and control over the messages conveyed by the flags flown on our flag poles, and has chosen not to display the ‘straight pride’ flag.” “It’s a double standard and it’s textbook discrimination,” Hugo told the Herald Wednesday, saying he’s filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination over it. The city normally flies the rainbow gay pride flag during gay pride month. Walsh’s office noted that the conservative group originally had asked the city to hoist what the group calls the straight pride flag - interlocking male and female symbols on a pink and blue background - in front of City Hall, but the city is refusing to do so. “Mayor Walsh will not be attending these events.” “The City of Boston cannot deny a permit based on an organization’s values,” Walsh spokeswoman Samantha Ormsby said. The controversial Straight Pride Parade can move forward, the city has deemed, though Mayor Martin Walsh won’t attend it or fly the “straight pride flag” at City Hall.