This really ticks me off!
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| Fri, 03-17-2006 - 9:24am |
I can't believe this is happening in NYC of all places! Go Quinn!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060317/ap_on_re_us/st_patrick_s_gays
Gay Politician to Skip St. Patrick's Day Parade
NEW YORK - The city's first openly gay City Council leader said Thursday she plans to boycott the St. Patrick's Day parade because organizers barred Irish gays and lesbians from joining the festivities for a 16th straight year. "I can't deny who I am on any given day," said Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
She said she will attend several pre-parade breakfasts, along with Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral, but will not join the 150,000 marchers Friday on Fifth Avenue.
Quinn, who took office in January, said attempts at brokering a deal with the Ancient Order of Hibernians for the 245th parade fell through. The city's Irish gays had long hoped to march behind their own banner, like other groups.
The fight to let Irish gays march under their own banner dates to 1991, when parade organizers first rejected an application from the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization. The organizers said they wanted to keep politics out of the event.
Instead, 35 members marched with a Manhattan division of the Hibernians and then-Mayor David Dinkins. The group was sprayed with beer and insults as it walked up Fifth Avenue. That was its last appearance in the parade.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who will march Friday, again urged the Hibernians to change their stance on letting the gay contingent in.
"I've always believed this is a city where all the parades should be open to everybody, and orientation, gender ... should not be the deciding thing," Bloomberg said.
Calls to the office of the Manhattan parade committee were not returned on Thursday as final preparations were made for the event, which draws up to 2 million spectators.


Although I understand your outrage, one can also see the humor and idiocy of it all.
Pieces of My Life
Yep, it's idiotic alright!
"There are no Irish gay folk.
Sandr
C >^. A .
I'm Irish meself lassie.
Pieces of My Life
Why would they ban them from the parade? I just don't get that at all. Good for Quinn for making a stand on this issue.
Jules
Jules
Laurie
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I was really shocked when I read your post cl-ting_tn, it’s absurd. I Googled it later on and found this:
(This was from Saturday, so you may or may not have heard it yet, if so sorry for repeating.)
Nazi jibe over ban on gay marchers dampens St Patrick's Day parade
Oliver Burkeman in New York
Saturday March 18, 2006
The Guardian
As Manhattan's massive St Patrick's Day parade made its way through the city yesterday its chief organiser was being condemned for a bizarre outburst in which he said that allowing gay groups to join the event would be like allowing Nazis to march at an Israeli parade.
"If an Israeli group wants to march in New York, do you allow neo-Nazis into their parade? If African-Americans are marching in Harlem, do they have to let the Ku Klux Klan into their parade?" march chairman John Dunleavy said in a newspaper interview, reigniting an argument that has marred every St Patrick's Day in New York for the past 15 years.
The whole article can be read here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/gayrights/story/0,,1733752,00.html
Sue,
That's absolutely horrendous. I'll have to read the full article later. We still have lots of hurdles to overcome.
Thanks for posting.
I must admit, I am disappointed. I've had two girlfriends that were Irish and I loved them very much, if I was with one of them, which I'm not, I would hug them and hold them close and let either one of them know that I'm proud of them for being who they were.
Hugs to my Irish sisters!
Hugs,
Sebastian
http://www.facebook.com/sebastianbruce