Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shuts down Boston’s Straight Pride – and she doesn’t hold back
House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Win McNamee/Getty)
Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has something to say about Boston’s Straight Pride parade.
Ocasio-Cortez was one of many who took to Twitter to mock those who marched in Saturday’s parade, which she referred to as both an “‘I-Struggle-With-Masculinity’ parade” and “Boston’s white supremacist parade”.
“For men who are allegedly so ‘proud’ of being straight, they seem to show real incompetence at attracting women to their event,” she tweeted.
“Hope they grow enough over the next year to support / join LGBTQ fam next #Pride!”
For men who are allegedly so “proud” of being straight, they seem to show real incompetence at attracting women to their event.
Seems more like a “I-Struggle-With-Masculinity” parade to me. ??♀️
Hope they grow enough over the next year to support / join LGBTQ fam next #Pride! ?️? https://t.co/DUb52ktWOP
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 31, 2019
The outspoken Democrat urged her followers to donate to the Solidarity Against Hate Legal Defence Fund, set up to pay the bail of those arrested while protesting the parade.
One way to support the local LGBTQ community impacted by Boston’s white supremacist parade?
Contribute to the Bail Fund for the activists who put themselves on the line protecting the Boston community:https://t.co/z2NRSqHMve(Any $ left over goes to @MassBailFund+@Boston_GLASS) https://t.co/G9xhIda6sF
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 1, 2019
The fund closed hours later having raised more than $24,000, 164 per cent of its goal.
The Lucy Parsons Centre, which organised the crowdfunder, said that excess monies will be split between the Mass Bail Fund, which pays the bonds of thousands of people annually while campaigning for an end to money bail, and Boston GLASS, which supports young queer and trans people of colour.
Boston Straight Pride ridiculed by the internet.
Hundreds of people – overwhelmingly straight, white men – descended on Boston on Saturday for the inaugural Straight Pride.
Organised by Super Happy Fun America, a group with ties to white supremacist organisations, the event was outclassed by a thousand-strong counter-protest.
While the straight parade marched with signs reading “it’s great to be straight” and “make normalcy normal again”, LGBT+ people and their allies shouted “shame on you”, “Boston hates you” and “alt right, get off our streets”.
Those who couldn’t attend were sure to share their thoughts on Twitter.
Straight pride protester trying to bring someone home after the march pic.twitter.com/MCjOLTwsDs
— jordan (@JordanUhl) September 1, 2019
The straight pride parade is so embarrassing I’m afraid of telling my parents that I’m straight. https://t.co/2H6LI0IfjW
— Jemaine Clement (@AJemaineClement) September 1, 2019
Straight Pride is important because it gives a voice to straight people who lets face it are very oppressed
— Matt Lucas (@RealMattLucas) September 1, 2019
While Straight Pride organisers said that they are “committed to creating spaces for people of all identities to embrace the vibrancy of the straight community”, the day had little emphasis on the so-called “oppressed majority.”
Speakers included a spiritual adviser who preached that “it’s not OK to be gay, and if someone told you otherwise, they lied to you”.
Crowds also heard from a Holocaust denier and gay far-right pundit Milo Yiannopoulos, who spoke about LGBT+ people “paying reparations to the family members of everyone who has died of AIDS”.
