While Boston celebrates Pride Week, an annual event honoring LGBT+ rights movements, another event draws the attention of the internet: Straight Pride. This is an attempt by Mark Sahady, vice president of Super Happy Fun America, an organization advocating for “oppressed straights”.
Several men from the organization have said they planned to hold this parade on August 31st. One of the organizers, John Hugo, who is also president of Super Happy Fun America, has said that there was no negative intentions regarding members of the LGBT+ community, noting that one of the other organizers was gay. Despite this, it’s still unclear as to if the idea of Straight Pride is a senior argument into heterosexual oppression, or some kind of strange joke.
Regardless, after filing a discrimination complaint, the City of Boston is now working with the group to make the parade happen, despite pushback and mixed reactions.
Marvel star Chris Evans has even tweeted his opinion regarding the parade, saying “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? [What do you] think?” A previous tweet also suggested to take a moment to understand empathy and growth instead of going immediately to anger.
Although this straight pride setback shocked many allies and members of the LGBT+ community, they like many others are still celebrating Pride Month with rainbows and smiles.