WOBURN, MA — The three top organizers of the group trying to organize a "straight pride parade" in Boston received letters Monday containing glitter and Bible verses, according to reports. The letters, which triggered a response from the Massachusetts State Police bomb squad in three communities, were not threatening and in fact "appears to be a legitimate use of the mail," police said, according to reports.
The letters were sent to residential addresses in Woburn, Malden and Salisbury. John Hugo, a Woburn resident who is trying to organize a "straight pride parade" next month, said he and two other members of Super Happy Fun America, the group organizing the parade, received the letters:
State police secured all three packages by 4:45 p.m. and were preparing to transport them to a lab for further analysis. An FBI spokesperson told Boston 25 there was no immediate danger to the public.
Samson Racioppi, another member of Happy Fun America who received one of the letters, told NBC 10 the package had no return address and was taped shut. Another source told NBC 10 the packages contained glitter and Bible verses and were signed at the bottom "Happy Pride" in rainbow colors, something other outlets later reported.
"I could hear something shaking ... it was probably bigger than grains of sand and I was immediately suspicious," Racioppi said.
In Woburn, a suspicious package containing Bible verses and glitter was secured by police in the parking lot of Hugo's Walnut Street apartment building. Other reports said the letters contained a white powder, prompting a hazardous materials response in all three communities.
In Malden, a package was recovered from a residence on the Fellsway and taken to a lab for analysis. Malden Police said the incident was under control and there was no threat of an explosion:
In Salisbury, the threat on Main Street was described as a "suspicious package." The street was blocked and multiple homes were cordoned off.
Last month, officials in Boston approved an application from Happy Fun America for a permit to hold the straight pride parade on Aug. 31. The group still needs approval from the Boston Police Department and the Licensing Board to receive a parade permit and an entertainment license.
Hugo says straight people are an "oppressed majority" and expects about 2,000 people to attend. The group's Website says the purpose of the parade is to "celebrate the diverse history, culture and contributions of the straight community."
Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).
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