Floats mocking the surge in pregnancies at Gloucester High School in a Beverly July 4 parade are fueling outrage from city residents and officials.
"The City of Gloucester is deeply offended by certain individuals trivializing and making a mockery of teenage pregnancy, which unfortunately is a national problem that we as a society must confront," Mayor Carolyn Kirk said in a prepared statement today. "Our focus in Gloucester is on addressing this issue and beginning a constructive and useful dialogue that will benefit our community. I am confident that Gloucester will rise to the challenge."
Kirk stopped short of asking for an apology from parade organizers or Beverly officials. The parade took place in Beverly Farms on Friday evening.
Three floats in the traditionally controversial, politically incorrect parade used the increase in pregnancies at Gloucester High School and stories about girls intentionally getting pregnant as the source of jokes. A video of the parade can be viewed on the Internet site YouTube.com
The video shows that, on one truck, a device made to resemble an oversized penis sprayed water at the crowd while condoms were tossed out to parade-goers. School desks on a trailer behind the truck were filled by young women with large stomachs and one girl pretending to give birth.
Signs on the truck said "Knock'em up high, where expectations are low. Gloucester, Ma," and "GHS girls went to band camps and came back pregnant tramps."
On another float, people portraying teenage girls with fake babies performed a choreographed dance, while, on a third float, men in diapers emerged from between the legs of a giant model of a woman.
Signs on that float said: "Maternity is a bitch, then you graduate."
Beverly Mayor William Scanlon said that, because the parade was private and not managed by the city, he would not be issuing an apology to anyone in Gloucester.
"I am sorry if anyone from Gloucester's feelings are hurt," Scanlon said. "I regret that, but have nothing to do with the parade. The parade has gone on for 100 years and lots of people's feelings have been hurt."
Scanlon, who said he had not watched the parade, declined to comment further on the contents of the floats.
Beverly does issue a permit for the annual parade, and Scanlon said at the moment there were no plans to review the parade's permit or change the permitting process going forward.
Gloucester resident Lilly Salah, a mother of three girls, said the displays at the parade were "outrageous" and "shameful."
"We can all have differing opinions, but this is x-rated," Salah said. "I am dumbfounded by this gang mentality and hope (Scanlon) issues an apology. How can the parents of these kids sanction this?"
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