BOSTON — The City of Boston can't stop a much-debated "Straight Pride Parade" from taking place this summer just because people disagree with the organizers' cause, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Thursday.

In a series of tweets on the heavily criticized "Straight Pride" parade, Walsh said permits to host a public event are granted based on "operational feasibility, not based on values or endorsements of beliefs."

"The City of Boston cannot deny a permit based on an organization's values," he said.

Walsh, a Democrat elected in 2013, said the organizers of the 'Straight Pride Parade" don't have a permit yet, but are "working to amend their application" for permits to host a public event. He did not say what those amendments entail.

"Whatever outside groups may try do, our values won't change," he said. "I invite each and every person to stand with us, and show that love will always prevail. Join us in celebration this Saturday for the @bostonpride Parade and in the fight for progress and equality for all."

Boston, known for its liberal politics, is considered one of the nation's LGBT-friendliest cities. Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2004.

The "Straight Pride Parade" is the product of group led by three men aligned with conservative politics called "Super Happy Fun America." It's a clear dig at events traditionally organized for Pride Month, a time to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history.

The "Straight Pride Parade," tentatively set for Aug. 31, mirrors the route of the LGBT Pride Parade set for Saturday.

The group's president is John Hugo, a Republican candidate for Massachusetts' 5th Congressional District in 2018, who lost soundly to U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Massachusetts. Its vice president is Mark Sahady, an organizer of the right-wing group Resist Marxism.

On their website, organizers say they are "committed to creating spaces for people of all identities to embrace the vibrancy of the straight community." The group says they've adopted Brad Pitt – "a hero to straight men all around the world" – as their mascot.

Sahady has said the event is a response to the "identity politics" of the political left. "This is our chance to have a patriotic parade in Boston as we celebrate straight pride," he wrote on a Facebook Post.