Event Date: August 31, 2019
Organized by: Super Happy Fun America
Organizations Present:
- Super Happy Fun America
White Supremacists/Fascists Present:
- Milo Yiannopoulos
- John Hugo
- Mark Sahady
- John Camden
- Kenny Lizardo
- Brien James
- Danny Gilbertson
- Patrick Soutter
- Samson Racioppi
- John Medlar
- Anthony Petruccelli
- Michael Schoepf
- Trevor Carey (disguised)
Key Takeaways/Facts:
- Super Happy Fun America emerged as a re-brand of Resist Marxism, which had been extensively reported upon for its openly white supremacist and fascist associations.
- Thousands of counterprotesters dwarfed the comparatively small straight pride parade.
- Boston Police Department (BPD) launched a police riot against counterprotesters, injuring dozens of people, deploying pepper spray and tear gas, using sirens as sonic weapons, driving motorbikes into crowds, and attacking medic stations.
- BPD arrested 36 individuals, 34 counter-protesters. Judges Sinnot and Horgan refused to allow district attorneys to drop charges against protesters at first.
- Straight Pride Parade was a media spectacle more than a coalition effort, representing a shift in local fascist organizing strategies.
Impact:
- The event cost Super Happy Fun America an enormous amount of money, and due to the chaos instigated by the police, they were unable to carry off a successful event.
- As of this writing, they have not attempted to muster a large demonstration in Boston since then. However,
Media Coverage:
- “How ‘Straight Pride’ parades like the one in Boston mask a far-right agenda,” Casey Quinlan, ThinkProgress, August 31, 2019
- “The Boston Straight Pride Parade Actually Happened And People Were Not Happy,” Josephine Harvey, Huffington Post, September 1, 2019
- “Boston ‘straight pride’ parade dwarfed by large counter-protest,” Sarah Betancourt, The Guardian, August 31, 2019
- “Straight Pride Parade in Boston: What Is It and Why Is It Happening?” Marc Fortier, NBC Boston, August 30, 2019
- “Boston’s Straight Pride Parade draws hundreds of marchers and even more counter protesters,” Joey Garrison, USA Today, August 31, 2019
- “‘Straight Pride’ parade in Boston draws counterprotesters,” Ralph Ellis, CNN, August 31, 2019
- “What To Know About The ‘Straight Pride Parade’ Coming To Boston,” Laney Ruckstuhl, Hannah Chantry, WBUR, August 29, 2019