Parade sparks outrage (Gloucester pregnacny pact).

Beverly Horribles parade prompts outcry in Gloucester
Globe Staff / July 8, 2008

There was a fire engine, a small army of children on bicycles, a marching band, and lots of red, white, and blue to celebrate the nation's birthday.

Then came the surprise floats at the annual July Fourth Horribles parade in Beverly, which has sparked outrage in neighboring Gloucester.

There were young men in diapers emerging from a female dummy's open legs, condoms raining on preteen spectators, and a truck that simulated a part of the male anatomy and carried the mocking message: "Knock 'em up high where expectations are low, Gloucester, MA."

The parade, known for more than a century for its biting satire about current affairs, left few residents laughing yesterday in Gloucester, which made international headlines last month when the high school's principal told Time magazine that some of the 17