-The Straight Pride parade
has officially started.
-[ Chanting ]
-Straight Pride parade --
A celebration of our sexual orientation
just like other people celebrate theirs.
We just think it's great to be straight.
-They even have a grand marshal, Milo Yiannopoulos,
a very controversial gay man.
-Hi!
-Was this a true expression of an identity
that they feel is being oppressed currently in America?
-They absolutely believe in what they're doing. And so do I.
-What felt a little bit more like a party
and like a parade two blocks ago
now feels like a lot more tension.
And even the tone of the people
marching in this parade has shifted.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
-Back it up!
-Are there any President Trump supporters here today?
[ Cheers and applause ]
-I have no problem with people existing as straight people,
and that this rally shows that they do not understand
where we are really coming from.
-The LGBT is putting it in schools,
and the counselors are telling them it's okay to be gay.
It's not okay to be gay.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
-You've got people screaming and brawling
and trying to tear down public infrastructure
and attack the police.
My work here is done.
-I am straight! Hear me roar!
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
-I have just arrived in Boston.
It's Saturday of Labor Day weekend,
and I'm currently on my way
to the Straight Pride parade.
The founders of Straight Pride have said they want
to celebrate the contributions of straight America
and provide a space in which straight people
are able to "be themselves and not fear persecution."
This has caused a lot of controversy.
People like the Mayor of Boston
coming out voicing their opposition.
I hope it stays peaceful.
The city of Boston has said
they're going to have a massive police force here.
This was something that started a couple months ago online.
I think a lot of people thought it was a joke.
They thought it wasn't gonna happen.
They got their permits in time.
And yes, in fact, the Straight Pride parade
is actually happening.
And like all Pride parades, they even have a grand marshal.
You guessed it -- Milo Yiannopoulos.
Yes, he's a gay man, and very controversial gay man.
But he was invited to be the grand marshal today.
-So I've been practicing my straight voice.
Did I get it right? -He is wearing a very sparkly
"Make America Straight Again" hat.
-It's all right. I'm used to being on the bottom.
I'll have more to say later
once we've gone for a little walk in the sun.
-I'm seeing a lot of American flags.
There is "Don't Tread on Me" flags.
There's the classic Straight Pride flag,
which you all know and love as being the symbol
of a man and a woman together with pink and blue.
"Straight Lives Matter." Oh, my gosh. Funny.
The shark from the Katy Perry video is here.
"Straight lives matter" -- What does that mean to you?
-All lives matter. You know, gay lives matter,
straight lives matter, everyone's lives matter
except for socialists.
-Where did you hear about the Straight Pride parade?
-Facebook. -And when you first heard
about it, what was your initial thought?
-That's hilarious. I'm doing it.
-What was funny about it?
-Because it's never been done before
and everyone's gonna be pissed off
even though it's obviously a joke.
-Is it obviously a joke?
-Yes. -Grow up, will ya?
Seriously.
-Have a conversation, man. -Do something about it.
-This does feel like,
it's trying to not only just troll the left,
but a little bit poking fun at gay pride.
The route itself is the exact route
that the Gay Pride parade that happened in Boston
at the end of June took.
I do feel like there was a missed opportunity
to have the parade route being literally straight.
You can't deny that this is the 50th anniversary of Pride.
Pride for LGBTQ people started at Stonewall,
not as a parade, but as an expression
of being in a space that a year prior they had been beaten
by members of the police force for being gay.
-But he identifies as a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
-He identifies as a shark.
-He is a dinosaur of the alt-right.
-What is the Straight Pride parade
and what do you want to publicize?
-A celebration of our sexual orientation
just like other people celebrate theirs.
Straight Pride Parade, we think it's great to be straight.
We don't hate any other group.
We just think it's great to be straight.
So all are welcome to come celebrate us.
We got our straight allies and our gay allies,
and many are coming here to march with us in solidarity.
-There seems to be some unhappy Americans, though.
-Well, you're gonna get that all the time.
Here we got people holding signs that say "Nazis."
We actually have a Jewish delegation,
and we're allowing them to carry the flag from Israel,
the Israeli national flag,
because we love our Jewish brothers and sisters.
So please don't listen to their narrative.
It's a false narrative.
-So for a while you were not actually going to
be allowed to have this march.
It was an issue with permits and that was a big turning point.
-That's why God made lawyers.
-But now you are having the parade.
You've gotten what you wanted.
So, what do you want to show, I guess, at this hour?
-We want tolerance just like everybody else.
And we have a right to tolerance.
And we've got a wonderful crowd,
as you can hear, they're all riled up today.
We've got some of the most amazing speakers,
and we're gonna have a terrific day,
and next year in America,
there's gonna be a hundred Straight Pride parades.
-What brought you here today? -I love Jesus with all my heart.
-Yeah? -And being straight is great.
And I believe that we have not stood up for that
and that we have suppressed it to the point
where when your children come home,
automatically thinking it's okay to be gay,
then we have not done our parts as parents.
It's not okay to be gay.
If it was okay to be gay, how would we be here?
-Kind of like a procreation perspective?
-You better believe it. You better believe it.
Yes. Yeah. -So they're chanting "Milo."
You know Milo is the grand marshal of the parade?
You know he's a gay man? -I know.
-Married to a man? -Yes.
-So what do you think about that?
-Well, I'm glad he's out here with us today
and he supports straight marriages.
But if I get a chance to minister to anyone,
I'm gonna tell him that's not God's design.
-Where are you from?
-Davison, Michigan. -Davison, Michigan.
-Same. -Same.
So that's kind of not close to Boston.
-No, a 20-hour drive. -20 hours?
-For some. -Yeah.
-Oh, my gosh. So what brought you out here today?
-Straight Pride. -Okay.
-His shirt says it all right there.
-What is "Dad, role model..." Tell me about your outfit today.
-It says "Dad" on it
and has all sorts of responsibilities of a dad.
-And do you think that there's people out there
who are trying to not have dads
with those characteristics or...?
-Well, that would be called toxic masculinity, wouldn't it?
-Oh, okay. Have you been attacked for your beliefs?
-No. I work with a bunch of people just like me.
-You're amongst your kin, your like-minded people,
and I don't want to use the word "safe space,"
but, like, in a space in which you can look
to the left and the right and you know
that the people around you are of similar beliefs
and that makes you feel more comfortable to be yourself.
-Correct.
-If you believe there are more than two genders,
you should go back to school.
-Can you tell me a little about this flag that you're holding?
-Yes, it's the flag of Straight Pride.
The pink is for girl and it has the female symbol,
and then the blue is for boy and it has the male symbol.
-Have you individually or people that you know
ever faced violence because of your sexuality?
-Not over my sexuality yet,
but if it continues, that it will.
I feel that we are slowly becoming the minority.
Like, there might be more of us,
but our belief is becoming the minority.
-I think we're starting to march.
-♪ 'Cause the flag still stands for freedom... ♪
-Oh. I know this song.
-♪ Stand up next to you and defend her still today ♪
-Yeah. We're starting off with a pretty patriotic tone.
-Now, it wouldn't be a Straight Pride parade,
I think, without Santa, so that is very exciting
that he was able to come down from the North Pole
despite the objections of the elves.
[ Horn honks ]
-♪ God bless... ♪ -God bless.
Yep, it's happening.
The Straight Pride has officially started.
We're now moving through the streets.
We started with "God Bless America"
and "Proud to be an American" because a lot of people
are saying it's about freedom of speech.
And it seems like a real fun time.
-♪ Yeah, freedom ♪
-♪ Freedom ♪ -♪ Freedom ♪
-♪ Freedom ♪
♪ Yeah, freedom ♪
♪ Freedom ♪ -♪ Freedom ♪
-♪ Freedom ♪ -♪ Freedom ♪
-♪ Freedom, freedom ♪
-How you doing? -I'm a bisexual...woman.
Woman walking with everybody.
-Do you consider yourself an ally for straight people?
-Absolutely. Straight people throw out the same insults
from the sidelines that are being hurled today
by gay people toward straight people.
Identical! I'm here to celebrate their lifestyle. Good for them!
-I definitely expected people on both sides
to be sort of upset with each other.
I don't think I expected the amount of people to show up.
We're starting to get into a bit of a denser part
of the parade route.
What felt a little bit more like a party
and like a parade two blocks ago
now feels like a lot more tension and a lot more anger.
And even the tone of the people marching in this parade
has shifted.
Oh, my gosh, the crowd just basically tripled
of people who are here to protest.
How you guys doing? Holding up?
-We are feeling fine.
I feel sorry for these people, honestly.
I do not hate them.
Hate is what they want, and I am sorry for them
that they feel so misguided that they think this is necessary.
-Why do you think this is existing right now in 2019?
-I think it is because they are afraid.
I think they know that because queer people have power
they think that means less power for them.
It does not. We do not want to be stronger
or higher up on the ladder than straight people.
We just want to be treated equally.
And to them, being treated equally,
they think that that means that we want more.
We do not want more.
And I have no problem with people existing
as straight people, and that this rally exists shows
that they do not understand where we are really coming from.
-So what do you think? I feel like in the beginning
it felt like more of a party, and now it feels like --
-That's 'cause that's the antifa. They're miserable.
-Yeah? Do you feel in danger in any way, shape, or form?
-Hey, we're willing to die for our beliefs.
-Really? -Yes.
-Wow. That's a big statement.
-And to protect our country and our Constitution.
-At first I actually thought that people in the parade
were outnumbering the protesters.
Not in this space. They are about 3 to 1
in terms of protesters to actual people in the parade.
So basically everyone who was protesting
is now in this very condensed space.
Cops now and protesters seem to be facing off.
[ Indistinct chanting ]
♪♪
The groups of protesters,
they started to have
a bit of a face-off and clash with the police.
A couple people were arrested.
A lot of chanting of "antifascist."
-Antifascist!
-There is a massive crowd of protesters behind me.
There are helicopters circling overhead.
There are probably 200 police officers here
in full riot gear.
There is also classical music being played.
It is a very odd scene.
So now we're just waiting for speeches to begin
from members of the Straight Pride parade.
-If you are a supporter of ours
and you're still stuck in that crowd, make some noise.
[ Silence ]
-I think a little bit due to security,
there's not a lot of people here on the Straight Pride side.
There is a lot of people
who are protesting the Straight Pride parade.
So if it's a numbers game,
that side seems to be winning at the moment.
[ Indistinct shouting ]
♪♪
-[ Chanting ] Move back! Move back!
-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8...
[ Whistle blows ]
♪♪
[ Shouting continues ]
-[ Chanting ] Let them go! Let them go!
-I am straight! Here me roar!
[ Cheers and applause ]
[ Air horn honks ]
-Move back.
Turn around and go that way.
[ Shouting continues ]
♪♪
-Are there any President Trump supporters here today?
[ Cheers and applause ]
♪♪
Whether you are straight and part of the oppressed majority,
or here as an ally supporting us,
we welcome you to the greatest parade
in the history of the world!
[ Cheers and applause ]
-♪ Get the fuck out of our city ♪
-And what group are you with?
-I'm with The Rhode Island John Brown Gun Club,
which is a community defense organization.
We do armed and unarmed security
for different events for leftist groups.
-What are your thoughts on the Straight Pride parade?
-Every other day in the calendar is Straight Pride Day.
[ Indistinct chanting ]
-Why did you come out here today?
-Because these people cannot come in
and pull this crap unopposed.
Boston is our city.
-At the beginning, I think a lot of people
were seeing this as a joke,
they were making fun of it and teasing,
but obviously the other side of this is that it's very serious.
So what is the approach?
Is it to make fun of it or is it to take what they're doing
very, very seriously?
-I think there's a lot of danger
in not taking something like this seriously.
I think there's a lot to be said for the idea
that as much as this is absurd,
look, there's not many people up there,
but there are people up there.
Absurdity appeals to people,
and the more people it appeals to,
the more dangerous it becomes,
and the more of a platform it's given,
the more dangerous it becomes.
-They're saying this is just simply
a "freedom of speech" thing.
-Well, I mean, if you look into the individuals
who have gathered and who have organized this parade,
you'll see that they have a long history
of putting together rallies that are, you know, fueled by hatred.
-Do you think anyone from either side is gonna walk away
feeling like they understand the other side?
-Oh, absolutely not. -No.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-In case you don't know, I am Milo Yiannopoulos.
I'm the most lied-about man in the world,
the most censored man in the world.
I'm also your personal pet faggot.
[ Cheers and applause ]
I'm proud of you for coming today and having the bravery
to live as open heterosexuals in today's hostile society.
Now, we might not be as trendy as Gay Pride,
but we have something better --
women who embrace motherhood...
[ Cheers and applause ]
...men who aren't afraid
to let their wild side out now and again.
We have truth, we have beauty,
and we have virtue,
and we have something better than all of those things --
we have me.
[ Light laughter, cheers and applause ]
-Unlike other Pride parades I've been to,
this one really didn't feel that celebratory at the end.
I did get to talk to some interesting people, though.
The one person I didn't get to talk to
was maybe one of the most controversial figures here,
Milo Yiannopoulos, the grand marshal.
But luckily he's agreed to talk to us now,
so we're on our way to go meet him.
We're now in the evening hours of the Straight Pride parade.
So you're not super fresh off the Straight Pride parade.
-I always feel fresh.
-You're always refreshed. -Always feel fresh.
-So how the hell did you get involved
with the Straight Pride parade?
-Well, why wouldn't I be?
I've been talking about how my fellow homosexuals
have embarrassed and humiliated me
for the better part of half a decade.
It's no surprise that they would want somebody
from that side of the fence, you know, to say,
"You know what? We're not all like that."
Doesn't surprise me at all.
I pretty much share all their values.
I believe in what they're doing.
And it was fun and happy and joyful and upbeat kind of event.
It just seemed like a good joke,
and I can't really resist a good joke, so...
-Has it paid off? How's your joke?
-Yeah, yeah, it is.
I mean, if you look at the total, like,
butt-clenching insanity,
and you're just like,
"Dude, we're just laughing at the excesses of you,
this is exactly what this was intended to produce.
And you haven't disappointed."
I'm not even getting paid. I'm just here because --
-You're not getting paid for this?
-No, because it just sounded like a good troll
and I was like, "All right. Sure."
-Do you think that this was more of a performance piece
for the members of the Straight Pride group,
or was this a true expression of an identity
that they feel is being oppressed currently in America?
-They absolutely believe in what they're doing.
Are they ignorant of the ironic and amusing overtones?
Of course not.
But they believe in what they're doing, and so do I.
-Who is the most marginalized group in America?
-Straight, white men, for sure.
And there's more straight, white men than some other groups.
-Most other groups. -Yeah.
Why does that mean that they can't be routinely demeaned
and ridiculed in culture?
It's perfectly possible for a group that holds much of
the -- or allegedly holds --
much of the economic or social power
to be very rapidly defenestrated,
and I think they're perfectly entitled
to defend their position if they feel that's what's happening.
-If you had advice for the other side,
if they were to listen, and if you were one of them --
-Stop taking the bait.
-Stop taking the bait. -Yeah. So long as the --
I mean, I shouldn't really tell them this,
but I don't think they ever will,
which is why I feel happy giving them the advice
because I know they'll never take this advice,
but really stop taking the bait.
I think they reveal themselves better than my words ever could.
You've got the people who are laughing and singing and dancing
and having a good time, and then 200 yards that way,
you've got people screaming and brawling
and trying to tear down public infrastructure
and attack the police.
My work here is done.
-Wow. Wow. Wow. So that was Straight Pride.
There were a lot of protesters.
They definitely drew people out
who were upset about an organization
like the Straight Pride parade existing.
And I think the question comes to the left,
what should the continued reaction be?
Do you continue to take it as a joke?
Do you take it seriously?
And is there any kind of learning or communication
that can be had where both sides start to see
where the other side is coming from?
I'm just not sure that a larger goal was accomplished
other than continuing to solidify both sides
and thinking that the other side is wrong,
and that kind of sucks.