History was made yesterday as 200,000 people marched up Fifth Avenue to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, including openly gay and lesbian groups that are usually prohibited from the New York festivities.
After 25 years of protest, LGBT group will march in NYC #StPatrick's parade https://t.co/LpqMxFPx5D pic.twitter.com/GK8HnepoEg
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 17, 2016
This year ended a 25 year ban that prohibited gay groups from marching in the annual parade and saw those who usually protest the ban allowed to take part for the first time.
This year members of the LGBT were community were allowed to march under banners that openly stated their sexual identity, something that has was previously prohibited by the parade organizers who claimed they did not want to divert the focus on the parade.
Parade board chairman John Lacey stated that they aimed to invoke the lessons of “love and tolerance” that are “embodied in the Irish spirit” when it the decision to change the parade’s ban on openly gay groups was announced.
Irish LGBT group Lavender and Green Alliance were permitted to march in the parade for the first time this year and Brendan Fay, founder of the group, stated that they “crossed a historic threshold as Irish people.”
Fay spoke out about his feelings toward this year’s parade and claimed that he never thought he would “see the day” he would be able to march in the parade with his husband due to gay groups being prohibited. He explained how he can normally be found at the sidelines being arrested for protesting against the parade.
Fay stated:
“After 25 years of waiting, of exclusion, of protest, today we celebrate with our Irish community. Today, we are accepted.”
This year also marks the first time that Mayor de Blasio participated in the festivities which he usually boycotts in protest of their exclusion of gay and lesbian advocacy groups.
De Blasio stated that at this year’s parade New York city was “at peace and unified” because everyone was “celebrating together.”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBPkD4zj3i8]
Image via YouTube.
