The straight pride parade confirms that our culture is a parody of itself

Our culture is a parody of itself. That’s the only thing that can explain Super Happy Fun America‘s plans for a straight pride parade in Boston this August 31st. With super straight, chick magnet Brad Pitt as their adopted mascot, and a brand new flag, half pink, half blue, with intertwined yellow symbols for male and female in the center, Super Happy Fun America invites straight people everywhere to “celebrate the diverse history, culture, and contributions of the straight community.”

The push back from the LGBTQIAP+ community has been swift and predictable, with countless claims that straight people aren’t discriminated against.

The background of gay pride parades across the western world have to do with seeking acceptance from the straight community. Now the straight community, or at least these trio of guys who are organizing the thing, are seeking acceptance from the LGBTQIAP+ community. It doesn’t look like they’re gonna get it.

Whether the men behind it are bad actors or sincere is not the point, because it’s being taken seriously—as though this is a legit affront instead of something that is undoubtedly satirical. The concept makes the point that parades based in oppression identity politics might have reached their apogee. What this reveals is that everyone is drinking their own tribal Kool Aid.

The fact that Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez felt the need to respond says it all:

Super Happy Fun America shared a list of demands on their blog. They want the to march the same route, have the same accommodations in terms of street closures, to raise the Straight Pride Flag, and to add S to the LBGTQIAP+, which might just serve to make it plural.

When Super Happy Fun America first approached the City of Boston with the idea of this parade, they were rebuffed. Still, they persisted, undeterred in their need to express their straight identity for all the world to see. Under threat of lawsuit by these litigious straight people, the City had to relent, and in a May 30th Facebook post, organizer Mark Sahady announced the parade:

It looks like the Boston Straight Pride Parade will happen. We filed a discrimination complaint and it appears the City of Boston understands they would lose in litigation. The city is now working with us on the parade. We will have the streets closed and be allowed floats and vehicles. The tentative date is 8/31 but will be finalized in the next few weeks. If you would like to come as an individual, march as a group, or bring a float or vehicle, then get in touch. This is our chance to have a patriotic parade in Boston as we celebrate straight pride.

Why do things like this keep happening? To many, the election of Trump was an overcorrection to the political correctness that had swept through our culture. Now, the breathless attempts to overcorrect this overcorrection have resulted in the self-parody that we can’t seem to escape from.

Ever since that 2016 election we’ve been subject to Orwellian inversion after Orwellian inversion. In 1984, it’s “freedom is slavery, war is peace, ignorance is strength.” In 2019, it’s language is violence, segregation is inclusive, and straight is queer.

Perhaps it’s time to try sanity.