Brad Pitt denounces upcoming Straight Pride Parade and demands the group stop using his likeness as its 'mascot'
- Super Happy Fun America, organizers of the parade, listed Pitt as its 'mascot' and claimed him as 'the face of this important civil rights movement'
- Sources said Pitt wants no part of the parade and threatened to take legal action against the group if they continued using his name and photos
- As of Thursday night, the group had removed the two images of Pitt from its website, replacing them with signs that said 'censored' and 'redacted'
- Celebrities including Chris Evans and Kathy Griffin have also spoken out against the Straight Pride Parade
Brad Pitt is denouncing efforts by the upcoming Straight Pride Parade in Boston to use him as their 'mascot.'
Super Happy Fun America, organizers of the Straight Pride Parade, listed Brad Pitt as its 'mascot' and claimed him as 'the face of this important civil rights movement'.
The post on the group's website featured a photo of Pitt and former wife Angelina Jolie from their 2005 film Mr and Mrs Smith, alongside a Photoshopped picture of Jennifer Aniston, Pitt's first wife, trying to lasso him.
But, according to TMZ, Pitt wants no part of the parade and threatened to take legal action against the group - made up of three white men - if they continued.
Nope: Brad Pitt is denouncing efforts by the upcoming Straight Pride Parade in Boston to use him as their 'mascot'; (pictured May)
No mascot: Super Happy Fun America, organizers of the Straight Pride Parade, which is tentatively set for August in Boston, have listed Brad Pitt as its 'mascot,' claiming him as, 'the face of this important civil rights movement'
Sources claim that Pitt's team reached out to the Straight Pride Parade organizers and demanded 'they stop using his name and likeness for the event'.
It appears the group has listened, somewhat.
As of Thursday night, the group had removed the two images of Pitt from its website, replacing them with signs that said 'censored' and 'redacted'.
It kept the same statement that had named Pitt as the group's mascot, redacting his name the first time but leaving it the second time.
'The Straight Community has adopted [Redacted] as our mascot! Congratulations to Mr. Pitt for being the face of this important civil rights movement,' it now reads.
As of Thursday night, the group had removed the two images of Pitt from its website, replacing them with signs that said 'censored' and 'redacted'
It remains unclear if Pitt's name remains due to an accidental error or on purpose.
Pitt isn't the only famous face to denounce the Straight Pride Parade. Boston native Chris Evans took to Twitter to bash the parade on Wednesday.
'Wow! Cool initiative, fellas!!,' Evans began, before offering an alternative suggestion for the parade.
'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? Whatta ya think? Too on the nose??'
Pitt isn't the only famous face to denounce the Straight Pride Parade, as everyone from Chris Evans to Smash Mouth spoke out
'Ok #StraightPrideParade? Honey, nobody wants to see a float made by a bunch of heterosexuals,' comedian Kathy Griffin joked.
'At least outsource that part to the gays. Gays, make sure you give them a nice, healthy upcharge.'
'Will “Straight Pride” be a Freaky Friday type situation where all of our history books, movies, stories, media, news, etc feature mostly LGBTQ+ people & perspectives?,’ asked Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. ‘Will people have to come out as straight? What would folks march in? Socks w/ sandals on? Dad jeans?'
Music group Smash Mouth simply declared: 'Straight Pride Parade? F**K OFF!'
Under the organisation name Super Happy Fun America, President of the group John Hugo, says he's working ‘on behalf of the straight community in order to foster respect and awareness with people from all walks of life’
The group also added they decided to launch the campaign to ‘educate the public, politicians, and civil servants about the straight community and the unique problems we face.’ (pictured left to right: Vice President Mark Sahady, Gay Ambassador Chris Bartley')
John Hugo, Mark Sahady and Chris Bartley are the three men behind Super Happy Fun America.
The trip claim to be working 'on behalf of the straight community in order to foster respect and awareness with people from all walks of life'.
On their website, the three men claim that straight people 'are an oppressed majority'.
'We will fight for the right of straights everywhere to express pride in themselves without fear of judgement and hate. The day will come when straights will finally be included as equals among all of the other orientations,' they added.
Hugo, the group's president, told DailyMail.com that the mens' message has been misconstrued. He insisted the parade isn't anti-LGBT but a 'stand against the tyranny of the minority'.
Straight Pride Flag: The parade will supposedly be followed by a 'flag-raising ceremony' set to follow the parade, though the city has already rejected the Straight Pride flag
‘The hate we're receiving from the Hollywood elite is just astonishing,' he added. 'We've had a dozens of people reaching out from the LGBT community telling us "What a fantastic idea" the parade is – "we have our parade and you have yours."'
'Everyone [now] in this county is "racist", a "xenophobe", a "homophobe". It gets so boring - just shut up.'
'We're an oppressed majority,' Hugo added. 'We want tolerance, and we want tolerance for everybody — not just the LGBTQ community.'
The Straight Pride Parade is, according to the Super Happy Fun America website, tentatively scheduled for August and pending approval from the city of Boston.
It is requesting that the city give them the same parade route as the LGBTQ+ parade, starting at Copley Hall and ending at Boston City Hall.
The parade will supposedly be followed by a 'flag-raising ceremony', though the city already rejected the group's request to fly a 'Straight Pride Flag' at City Hall in April.
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Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, said on Thursday that the Straight Pride Parade doesn't have a permit but is 'working to amend their application'.
'Permits to hold a public event are granted based on operational feasibility, not based on values or endorsements of beliefs,' he tweeted. 'The City of Boston cannot deny a permit based on an organization's values.'
Walsh said he was 'proud' to hold Boston's annual pride week and said the city's values of 'respect, diversity, and acceptance of all' were clear.
'Whatever outside groups may try do, our values won't change,' he added. 'I invite each and every person to stand with us, and show that love will always prevail. Join us in celebration this Saturday for the @bostonpride Parade and in the fight for progress and equality for all.'
