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NEW YORK MAYOR Bill de Blasio is ending a two-year boycott of America’s largest St Patrick’s Day parade now that it has fully dropped its longstanding ban on allowing gay and lesbian groups to march under their own banners.
De Blasio, a first-term Democrat, said that for the first time he will take part in the parade along Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March.
He skipped the parade in 2014, when no gay groups were allowed to openly march, and he skipped again last year, when only one small lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group was permitted.
“The St Patrick’s Day Parade is a New York City tradition, but for years Irish LGBT New Yorkers could not show their pride,” de Blasio said.
Finally, they can celebrate their heritage by marching in a parade that now represents progress and equality.
This year, more than 300 people will march under the banner of the Lavender and Green Alliance, an Irish LGBT group that had worked for 25 years to reverse the ban and, when those efforts stalled, founded a competing parade, called St Patrick’s For All, which marches every year in Queens and allows all groups to participate.
“Our hearts will be dancing,” said Brendan Fay, the head of the group.
Fay gave credit to de Blasio, who was the first mayor in more than 20 years to refuse to participate in the Manhattan parade, saying his boycott put pressure on the parade’s organizers to change their policies.
A year ago, organisers allowed OUT@NBCUniversal, a gay organisation at NBC, which televises the festivities, to participate, but de Blasio and several other elected officials said that wasn’t enough and continued to abstain from participating in the 255-year-old march.
“It wasn’t truly inclusive until it included an Irish gay group,” said Councilman Daniel Dromm, a Democratic member of the City Council’s Irish and LGBT caucuses.
This allows us to express, in full, who we really are. When you’ve been excluded for something for so long, when you finally realise your dream is coming true, it’s very emotional.
Dromm will be joined by several members of the City Council, including its speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Democrat who also boycotted the last two years.
Aides to de Blasio said he would march in the first portion of the parade with police officers, firefighters and other members of the city’s uniformed services and then spend some of the parade under the Lavendar and Green Alliance’s banner.
Reaction
It’s customary for the groups marching, some of whom have been participating for decades, to proceed in the same order, with new groups relegated to the end.
But parade organisers said the new gay group would not be placed at the end of the lineup.
“We want this to be our most inclusive parade ever,” said John Lahey, chairman of the parade.
We hope that it will bring New Yorkers from all backgrounds together in a way that maybe our previous parades didn’t.
Lahey said that no groups dropped out this year after the decision to include the gay organisations, though some had complained the previous year when OUT@NBCUniversal was allowed.
But some longtime parade participants condemned the changes.
“The mayor is a disgrace who bullied everyone to having the type of parade that he wanted,” said Bill Donohue, of the Catholic League, who stopped marching a year ago over the decision to allow LGBT banners.
They are making this just an Irish parade, not a Catholic parade. It’s contemptible.
This year’s parade, which will mark the 100th anniversary of an insurrection that led to Ireland’s independence, will feature former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell as grand marshal.
Mitchell, a Democrat and a primary architect of 1998′s Good Friday peace agreement in Northern Ireland, had told organisers he would not participate if LGBT groups were not permitted.
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Before the negative comments start I’d like to say I think I’m the midst of these extraordinary circumstances I think our government is doing extremely well in coping with the virus. It’s far to easy for any of us to use this as an opportunity to throw out cheap shots and be critical. We know nothing of what it must be like to make such crucial decisions that will never be able to please or serve all of the people but have to made regardless.
@2thFairy: The only negative comment I have is about Trump thinking Dublin airport was in UK,did I read the article properly?
The Government ‘s emergency packages and all the political leaders including FG’s leader,their health Spokesperson and experts holding regular meetings re Convid19 ,etc has been reassuring to the public.Legislation will be needed to be passed in thee Dail asap.
Thanks too to all the Convid19 testing staff, laboratories,nurses, doctors,etc,those involved in contact tracing,etc.for all your work.
@2thFairy: In fairness those arguments could be made about every single situation a government faces.
Let’s see what happens in a few weeks.
Our health service has been untouched or reformed – by government choice – for the last decade. And cannot cope with a potentially serious crisis. That’s on Leo.
Our economy is extremely exposed thanks to enormous debt and poor fiscal management. It won’t withstand a major economic shock. That’s on Leo and co.
If this goes badly it’s the last decade of stupidity that will make it worse.
Just like the two decades of ignorance leading up to the global economic crisis made it
So much worse
@Shazam37: what planet have you just landed from
@damien ryan: he’s perfectly right
@Shazam37: I agree with you 100%
Though I would never say it but Leo and his top government ministers are playing a blinder…Trump on the other hand God help America!!
@Pat Lonergan: pffft. A blinder my foot. Statements are easy to make. Let’s see how things play out and judge them then.
Irish – so easily led by deeply average speeches.
@Pat Lonergan: what by doing now what should have been done a week ago, he’s a fo0l
Leo doing Ireland proud abroad!
Maybe Leo’s Indian heritage confused the president but the head flick howiya is a distinctly Irish greeting.
Fake leader, more important than being at home with the country in panic. Absolute dope.
@A Cos: What a stupid uninformed thing to say.
@A Cos: You’re being too hard on Trumpy.
@A Cos: these interactions with major trading partners are an essential part of the job. US FDI companies provide a significant number of well-paid jobs here, and Ireland has traditionally used March 17 to maintain an unprecedented level.of access to the Oval Office.
He’s earning his salary this week with these meetings, and still managing to stay on top of issues at home.
Give the guy a break, even if you dislike him for political reasons.
@A Cos: you have just delivered such an uneducated and immature comment.
@John Mulligan: very well said.
@Earth Traveller: That will go so over his head!!
@Pat Lonergan: the Leo lover crew out in force I see. We gave never had a bad relationship with the US in the history of the state, if you honestly believe that a man flying over for a photo op on Paddys weekend is the only reason we have a good relationship with the US well then you are the person who might have comments go over your head
@A Cos: another uneducated comment.
@John Mulligan: as I’ve said earlier, this whole agenda is unprecedented in our history. Do you honestly believe that these yearly photo ops are the reason we have good trade relationships with the US. Do you think if Leo had said, look Donald things are getting serious now, I need to be at home with my people. I’m sure as volatile as Trump is he would not shut the borders a d trade deals to Ireland
@2thFairy: any other input person with anonymous profile?
@A Cos: he is playing a blinder on this virus. Appropriate action at the right time. Look past your inner twisted gizzards and try find some good.
@A Cos: “trade deal with Ireland” .. lol … sweet mother of God.. are you completely ignorant of the EU and trade?
@Pat Lonergan: did you just say ” will so go over his head?” Wow!
@A Cos: to be fair they get more than a photo op. How many world leaders get an annual one on one with POtUS? Their entourages get access. They meet congressional leaders and influential people at lunches etc.
It gives us access most other countries would kill
For. Let’s not down play the significance of it.
I wonder how much did this cost us in spin doctors fees?
While going through customs in Dublin airport trump praised the UK for its strong border!!!am I missing something here
It that two nice bowls of Shamrock on the mantlepiece??
Our smug Taoiseach has stated we have never had a pandemic like this in living history.
What about the spainish fly 1918 that killed 100m.
1968 flu pandemics killed 1m world wide.
H1N1 more commonly known as the flu they say the same.
Take same precautions washing hands etc, can be caught the same way etc.
Symptoms the same.
There seems to be a lot of scaremongering going on. Which makes Irish people more irrational than usual!
However swine flu with about 150,000–575,000 fatalities
Hahaha all the ffg bum L1ckers on looking for any little thing to try repair their failed masters reputation. They’ve done nothing all year but make complete fools out of themselves, bots and masters alike
Would have thought the Donald would be more into a nod of the head accompanied by a swift click of the heels,…
#ABT2020
Did Leo have crazy green socks on?
Bit of tromboning
Hi boys
see the first post on my twitter…
only 18+
@Annaa69: you’re alright
Please self-isolate as Trump met with someone from Brazil last week who has been tested positive for covid-19!
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