Putting history and present-day reality aside—because organizers of the Straight Pride movement appear to be erasing the effects of anti-LGBTQ discrimination on LGBTQ people—a group called Super Happy Fun America is pushing for a “Straight Pride Parade” this summer in Boston.
According to their website, “Super Happy Fun America is committed to creating spaces for people of all identities to embrace the vibrancy of the straight community. We believe that true diversity is only possible when people of all sexual orientations are free to celebrate their lifestyles.”
Which may just sound fine in theory—let’s all support each other, right? But don’t they seem to be missing the entire point of LGBTQ Pride? The hard work of the ongoing fight for equal-rights, for example, isn’t aimed to give special rights to discriminated groups (LGBTQ people, in this case) over the status quo (straight people, in this case) but to ensure that all groups share the same rights. Isn’t every day “Straight Pride Day” pretty much everywhere already, after all?
According to a June 4 report in USA Today:
June is Pride Month, historically considered a time to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history.
A group in Boston has sparked outrage, however, by announcing plans to host a “Straight Pride” Parade this summer, although it’s unclear if the city will allow the event.
Mark Sahady, vice president of Super Happy Fun America, a group organized by three men who claim to advocate “on behalf of the straight community,” announced that the parade is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 31. Sahady included a proposed parade route that mirrors the path of the LGBT Pride Parade that takes place on Saturday.
“We will have the streets closed and be allowed floats and vehicles,” Sahady wrote in a Facebook post. “This is our chance to have a patriotic parade in Boston as we celebrate straight pride.”
Sahady claimed he filed a discrimination complaint with the city and that officials are now working with the group on the event. City officials confirmed the group has contacted them, but they haven’t received the permits required to host a parade.
Sahady has organized several controversial rallies in Boston, Boston Magazine reported, including a “Rally for the Republic” in 2017 that drew fewer than 100 right-wing demonstrators and a pro-gun protest in response to the March for Our Lives in 2018.
Boston is a historically LGBT-friendly city, and Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004.
The announcement drew ridicule on social media after New York Times assistant managing editor Carolyn Ryan tweeted about the event.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, issued a statement in support of the city’s LGBT community and its upcoming Pride Month events.
“Every year Boston hosts our annual Pride Week, where our city comes together to celebrate the diversity, strength and acceptance of our LGBTQ community,” Walsh said. “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.”
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