Those who assumed this year’s inclusion of one LGBT organization in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade was the start of more, were wrong, warns the parade’s chairman.
If John Dunleavy has his way – and he’s had it as chairman of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade for 22 years – LGBT organizations once again will be banned from marching as identified groups in next year’s parade. After losing sponsorship and big dollars from corporations including Guinness and Heineken, parade organizers reached a small compromise this year, allowing one NBC LGBT employees group to march.
That was the first – and last, if Dunleavy is re-elected next year – time an LGBT organization has been allowed to march under a banner.
LGBT individuals, of course, can march in the world famous and largest St. Patrick’s Day parade, but they can’t do so openly, as a group, thanks mostly to Dunleavy’s views.
“The parade itself is not there to promote anybody’s particular agenda in any way, shape or form,” Dunleavy told an Irish Voice reporter in late April (video, above, around the 8 minute mark towards the end). “The parade represents our faith, our heritage and our culture, nothing more and nothing less. So we’re going to keep to that, and anybody who wants to mix that up is going to have a problem next year.”
“There is going to be some changes,” Dunleavy promised. “No major changes but there is going to be changes. I am going to run for another term and [at] that time we will put certain items into the changes that we need.”
Irish Central reports the parade’s ban on LGBT groups has given it a “public relations black eye,” noting that many are “labeling the New York City march – one of the largest in the world – as homophobic.”
Prepare for another battle next year, especially as a large majority of voters in Ireland just gave the thumbs up to marriage for same-sex couples.Â
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Related:
Catholic Group Claims Gays Not Reason It Will Boycott St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Catholic League: Gays ‘Can’t Keep Their Pants On,’ May Masturbate In St. Pat’s Parade
Ban Ends – NYC Gay Group To March In 2015 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
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Image by The All-Nite Images via Flickr and a CC license
Hat tip: The Advocate
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