Straight Pride Parade Organizers Called Cops After Getting A ‘Suspicious Envelope,’ It Was Filled With Glitter
At least three of the organizers of Boston’s upcoming “Straight Pride Parade” called the police after receiving “suspicious” envelopes in the mail, with at least one case leading to a hazmat team shutting down and evacuating an entire block, CNN reports. The packages all contained glitter.
Samson Racioppi is a founding member of the group Super Happy Fun America, which didn’t exist until a few months ago and, as of this writing, exists only as a Facebook group and a website. Racioppi and a few friends are the organizers of the upcoming “Straight Pride Parade” scheduled to take place in Boston later this summer.
On Monday, he says he received an envelope that he described as “suspicious.” He says it was heavily taped up and had no return address, and when he shook it, he heard shaking coming from inside. He called the cops.
A hazardous materials (hazmat) team showed up, shutting down the street in front of the building and evacuating neighbors. Meanwhile, Racioppi warned other members of his group to be on the lookout for suspicious mail. Sure enough, at least two other parade organizers received similar envelopes.
As it turns out, the suspicious packages contained only glitter.
The "Straight Pride" parade is still happening after the city of Boston approves the permit and a date is set.
The Aug. 31 event is being named "Super Happy Fun America" and is meant to celebrate "being straight" and is not meant to be "anti-gay."https://t.co/rhkWseupaL
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 27, 2019
As of this writing, neither the Massachusetts State Police nor the FBI has commented on the contents of the packages or who they were sent to.
Super Happy Fun America’s vice president Mark Sahady, who also received such an envelope, is certain it had to do with the upcoming Straight Pride Parade.
“It got a lot of news coverage, so it obviously had to do with the parade,” he said.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Super Happy Fun America and the city of Boston have been at odds over the past few weeks over the planned parade. Organizers insist that the parade isn’t homophobic but “pro-straight.” President John Hugo said that non-LGBTQ people are “an oppressed majority.”
“For [LGBTQ people] everything is based upon identity and whether or not one is categorized as a victim or an oppressor. If you get victim status then you are entitled to celebrate yourself and expect those with oppressor status to defer to your feelings,” he said.
Though the city has tentatively approved the parade, there are a few details still to be worked out. Police captains of the districts along the parade’s route still have to approve it, and organizers still have to get a parade license and an entertainment license. Assuming everything is licensed and approved as planned, the parade is scheduled for August 31.
