Straight Pride Parade gets permit to move forward in Boston — but mayor's office doesn't seem too thrilled for some reason

A much maligned Straight Pride Parade got a permit to move forward in Boston later this summer, but Democratic Mayor Marty Walsh will not be attending, the Boston Herald reported.

"The City of Boston cannot deny a permit based on an organization's values," Walsh spokeswoman Samantha Ormsby told the paper, adding that Walsh "will not be attending these events."

John Hugo, president of "Super Happy Fun America" which is organizing the Aug. 31 event, has said the parade aims to protest "some serious heterophobia" in the city, the Herald added.

But straight pride flag won't fly at City Hall

Walsh's office said Hugo's group asked the city to fly a straight pride flag — which depicts interlocking male and female symbols on a pink and blue background — in front of City Hall, but the city refused, the paper said.

Boston, however, does fly a rainbow flag for pride month, the Herald said.

"It's a double standard, and it's textbook discrimination," Hugo told the paper, noting that he filed a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination in regard to the flag flap.

But Walsh's office explained to the Herald that flag flying is "at the city's sole and complete discretion" and that 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," the Herald said.

What else?

The approved permit for the Straight Pride Parade indicates it will include "live music," "amplified sound," and "dancing," and that 2,000 attendees are expected, the paper reported.

Hugo added to the Herald that he expects trouble and is planning his own security team of 20, noting that they will stand along the parade route which he wants to run through downtown Boston.

What's more, gay political provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos — no friend of leftists or the LGBTQ crowd — is supposed to be the parade's grand marshal, the paper said.

Pushback

WBZ-TV said a group called Fight Supremacy is planning a counter-protest to the Straight Pride Parade on the same day.

In addition, Solidarity Against Hate-Boston has scheduled an Aug. 31 event called "Straight Pride Is Hate Pride" at the city's Government Center.

Organizers: Date Set For 'Straight Pride' Parade In Bostonyoutu.be