While celebrating Pride Month 2023, here’s a throwback to June 2019, when Brad Pitt and Chris Evans purposefully took down homophobia disguised as the “Straight Pride” movement. The campaign originated in the US where a small group of men applied for a license to hold a “Straight Pride March” in an attempt to describe straight people as an oppressed majority.
The group even adopted Brad Pitt as an unofficial mascot for the movement, without any prior permission. Thus, unwilling to associate with any such campaign, Pitt threatened Straight Pride organizers to sue, if they didn’t stop using his name. Meanwhile, Chris Evans used sarcasm and humor on Twitter to blow the movement into smithereens.
Brad Pitt Refused To Be Straight Pride Mascot
Back in 2019, the Super Happy Fun America group, organized by three men, announced their plans to gather in Boston to compete against the city’s LGBT Pride Parade. Claiming to be serious and keep the “streets closed” the associates announced on Facebook, “This is our chance to have a patriotic parade in Boston as we celebrate straight pride”.
Claiming to appear on behalf of the oppressed majority of straight people, the Massachusetts group even claimed Brad Pitt as its unofficial mascot. Calling Pitt “a hero to straight men all around the world”, the group even shared his image on their website. However, upon receiving the information of his image and name being used in such an event, the actor requested his name and likeness be removed.
Unwilling to associate with any such event, Brad Pitt even had to threaten to sue the group as they continued linking him to their cause. However, eventually, the group redacted the actor’s image and name from their page and shared a post stating the British right-wing political commentator, Milo Yiannopoulos, accepted their offer. “Milo Yiannopoulos has accepted the offer to be mascot and Grand Marshall of the parade!” they wrote.
Chris Evans Slammed Straight Pride Movement
While Brad Pitt had to fight against the group after being added without prior permission or knowledge, Chris Evans personally took the matter into his own hands. Responding to the Super Happy Fun America’s plans, the MCU actor criticized the group, calling their marching proposal “as the work of closeted toddlers”.
Evans Tweeted,
“Wow! Cool initiative, fellas!! 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??”
Slamming the group for disguising their homophobia as straight pride, Chris Evans stated, “The number gay/straight pride parade false equivalencies are disappointing”. He further requested the organization to seek empathy within themselves. “Instead of going immediately to anger(which is actually just fear of what you don’t understand)take a moment to search for empathy and growth”
Following Chris Evans’ tweets, the internet responded with cheers and gratitude. However, on the other hand, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh stated, although the parade was yet to have their permit, the city “cannot deny a permit based on an organization’s values.” Thus, he encouraged the people to attend the parade on its pronounced date.
Source: USA Today
