Philadelphia Mummers Parade officials denounce hateful acts

A folk parade in Philadelphia has caused controversy after its attendees were accused of making homophobic and transphobic remarks.

The man then sat on a wheelchair and changed into women’s clothes with the Aerosmith song “Dude Looks Like a Lady” playing in the background.

This skit started out with a man dressed as Bruce Jenner standing in front of a Wheaties box, similar to the one Bruce was on many years ago.

Participants danced wildly and toted parasols Friday down Broad Street, the city’s main north-south thoroughfare, during the 116th edition of what has been called Philadelphia’s Mardi Gras.

According to a local report, a member of the Finnegan Brigade was caught on video screaming, “f*** the gays”. “F– the gays!” at parade spectators.

“It’s unacceptable. There’s no place for it in Philadelphia.”

Fitzpatrick promised that they will be working to prevent such “disgusting display of bias, hateful behavior” from happening in the future. He did apologize for the marcher who shouted against gays.

Holtz believes the men who accosted him were part of the same group satirizing Jenner. ‘They were calling me faggot, calling me gay’. When Holtz went to confront the group about the comment, he said, another man “jumped in, clocked me in the face”. The assault left him with a large swollen welt on his cheek.

“I find myself, as do many many members of Finnegan NYB, wholeheartedly apologizing for the abrasive, gross, and disturbing action of one of our members who, unfortunately, took it upon himself to embarrass us all with his conduct”, Finnegan NYB captain Michael J. Inemer Sr. told Philly.com in an email.

“What a joke. Everyone is to sensitive”. Members of the group, including children, wore sombreros and ponchos, fake mustaches, brown face makeup and, in a few cases, taco costumes. The movement itself was mocked by parade goers with signs saying, “Shark Lives Matter”, “Mummers Lives Matter”, “Wench Lives Matter” and “Pirate Lives Matter”. Two #BLM organizers were arrested by police, according to NBC 10.

The controversial incidents came as city officials added a new division this year, called the Philadelphia division, grouping together lesser represented communities like Latinos, blacks and gays to foster openness and diversity.

The city’s incoming mayor, Jim Kenney, obviously didn’t think it was a great idea and tweeted in response, “It was bad”.