What was inside the ‘suspicious’ letters sent to the Boston ‘straight pride’ parade organizers? Glitter.
"This appears to be a legitimate use of the mail."
Organizers of a planned “straight pride” parade next month in Boston say they won’t be deterred by the glitter-filled letters sent to three members of their leadership team.
Massachusetts police responded Monday afternoon to calls from homes in Woburn, Salisbury, and Malden, after three of the parade’s organizers received letters with no return addresses. According to a statement Tuesday by the group Super Happy Fun America, its members — John Hugo, Mark Sahady, and Samson Racioppi — each immediately contacted the police about the “suspicious packages.”
Hugo told WBZ on Monday that Racioppi was the only one who opened his respective letter, which reportedly contained a handwritten note and a substance.
In their statement Tuesday, Super Happy Fun America said that they were informed by officials that the substance was neither “explosive” nor “dangerous.” It was glitter.
“We believe this to be the action of domestic terrorists,” parade organizers wrote Tuesday, comparing the letters to the recent physical assault of a conservative journalist by anti-fascist activists in Portland, Oregon.
WBZ reported that a fourth letter containing a “glittery substance” was also opened Monday by an employee at Boston City Hall.
Over the past decade, so-called glitter bombing — in which glitter is showered on a person or sent to them through the mail — has been used as a form of non-violent protest against politicians and public figures perceived to hold anti-LGBTQ views. However, the organizers of the straight pride parade see the sparkly particles as something more menacing.
“The sender wants Super Happy Fun America to know: We know where you live, and your families are within our reach,” they added.
The group also said the handwritten letters contained “vague ominous” writing. According to WBZ, the writings were bible passages; a law enforcement source told WCVB that they were non-threatening and included Scripture quotes with a theme of love and forgiveness.
An FBI spokesperson told CNN that the agency does not believe the letters present a threat to public safety.
“This appears to be a legitimate use of the mail,” Malden police said, according to 7News.
Parade organizers say they will persevere.
“The cowardly threats against our parade organizers and their families will not deter us from advocating for Straight acceptance, nor will it dissuade us from continuing forward with our Straight Pride Parade in Boston,” Super Happy Fun America wrote.
Last week, the City of Boston approved the group’s application for the Aug. 31 parade. Mayor Marty Walsh noted that officials “cannot deny a permit based on an organization’s values.” While widely mocked, Super Happy Fun America has insisted that straight people are “an oppressed majority.”
“Permits to host a public event are granted based on operational feasibility, not based on values or endorsements of belief,” Walsh said last month.
