Netflix threatens Straight Pride with legal action: ‘We’re unafraid of bullies’
Netflix’s legal team ordered Super Happy Fun America to “steer clear” (Image: Netflix)
Netflix has threatened the organisers of Boston’s Straight Pride with legal action after they listed the streaming platform as a “prospective corporate sponsor” for their anti-LGBT+ event.
Netflix sent a cease-and-desist order to Super Happy Fun America, the group organising the parade, which has several ties with far-right and white nationalist organisations.
In an email, the media giant wrote: “You should know that we’re unafraid of bullies. Our legal department is here, it’s queer, and it’s telling you to steer clear.”
Super Happy Fun America were ordered to “immediately” remove the Netflix logo from all materials associated with the event, with the threat of further legal action if this is not done within 24 hours.
Email exchange between Netflix IP department and Mark Sahady, vice president of Super Happy Fun America (Image: SHFA)
The Netflix legal team declared that the event “is about hate – not pride,” and pointedly added: “It’s telling that you need to feel the need to lie to gain legitimacy.”
“Netflix hates the straight,” organisers claim
The parade organisers hit back at Netflix on their website in a post entitled “Netflix hates the straight,” which accuses Netflix’s legal team of being staffed by “gay supremacists.”
“We believed that they would jump at the opportunity to become involved in our young civil rights movement,” they wrote. “Sadly, we have learned that Netflix is a heterophobic company steeped in hatred and bigotry.”
The post continues: “Obviously, Netflix has no qualms about using their position of power to threaten marginalised groups who are exercising their first amendment rights.
“It appears that their legal department is staffed by gay supremacists who are so accustomed to privilege that our goal of equality for straights feels like oppression to them.
“In fact, it is Netflix that is acting like a bully. We have every right to inform the public about our attempts to gain sponsors for our parade and their hate will not stop us.”
Celebrities condemn Straight Pride
Super Happy Fun America previously tried to use Brad Pitt as their movement’s “mascot,” but were forced to stop following a complaint from Pitt’s representatives.
“Congratulations to Mr. Pitt for being the face of this important civil rights movement,” the website read, until the group were ordered to stop using the actor’s name and likeness for their cause.
The Marvel actor Chris Evans also condemned the anti-LGBT+ group. Evans is from Boston, where the parade will be held in August.
He 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??”
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?? https://t.co/gaBWtq2PaL
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) June 5, 2019
He added: “Wow, the number gay/straight pride parade false equivalencies are disappointing.
“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.”
