Milo Yiannopoulos
Right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos has been named the grand marshal for Boston's "Straight Pride" parade.

Organizers announced Friday the former Breitbart editor as the parade's grand marshal after they originally used actor Brad Pitt's name and likeness for the event.

The head of Super Happy Fun America, a group that "advocates on behalf of the straight community," told the Boston Herald that Pitt "was not super happy" about the group using his name and likeness without his consent.

"I really like his movies and his lawyers sent us a letter asking us to take his stuff down but, you know, you're allowed to do satire," John Hugo, president of Super Happy Fun America, told the newspaper.

The organization later named Yiannopoulos, who is openly gay, as its grand marshal for the event.

"I might technically be a sequined and perfectly coiffed friend of Dorothy's, but I've spent my entire career advocating for the rights of America's most brutally repressed identity - straight people - so I know a thing or two about discrimination," Yiannopoulos said in a statement released by the group.

"This parade is a gift to anyone, male or female, black or white - gay and transgender allies, too! - who will stand with us and celebrate the wonder and the majesty of God's own heterosexuality. Men, bring your most toxic selves. Women, prepare to burn your briefcases! Because it's great to be straight, and we're not apologizing for it any more. We're Here, Not Queer."

Boston's Straight Pride event purportedly aims to celebrate heterosexuality in a city that's said to have one of the largest LGBTQ communities in the nation.

"I know it's a little ironic to have a gay conservative as our icon," Hugo told the Boston Herald.


Comment: Not really. The organizers have been touting the inclusivity of the event since its inception. What better way to display the spirit of inclusivity than by having a gay person heading the parade?


The parade - which has a tentative date of Aug. 31, according to organizers - doesn't appear to have received a required city permit.

Fox Nation host and conservative commentator Tomi Lahren lashed out at the city over the logistics. But Mayor Marty Walsh (D) wrote that the city cannot deny a permit based on an organization's values.

"This 'Straight Pride Parade' doesn't yet have a permit, but is working to amend their application for permits to host a public event," Walsh wrote in a tweet on Thursday while inviting visitors to attend the LGBT Pride Parade.


Yiannopoulos was banned from Facebook earlier this month, along other other prominent figures the social media platform described as "dangerous."

The controversial commentator is also banned from entering the country of Australia over his comments on social media about the New Zealand mosque shootings.