Fight over Gays in St. Patricks Parades

[springfieldlover]

Why is there a need for there to be gay marchers in every parade. The parade is about being Irish.

Next thing is there will be a push to have a gay understanding class in elementary schools. At some point you have to quit fighting about everything. I don't go around screaming that I'm a heterosexual and waving a big flag in front of my house claiming so. At some point enough is enough.

Feel free to tear me apart because I'm not gay and there is no possible way I could understand.

[finehoe]

"No other group is asked to march without a banner and their standard – not the police, firefighters, or the Irish," Coredini said. "A double standard is the status quo and does not represent progress."

Coredini said activists were encouraged by the progress that was achieved and hoped that the exclusion would end for next year.

"While we are disappointed that we did not get to march this year as we had hoped, we thank the mayor for championing full inclusion all the way until the end," she said. "We are encouraged by today's small step forward with the inclusion of a 'diversity' float, and we hope that it is a sign that next year applications from LGBT groups, like MassEquality, that wish to join the celebration of Irish heritage and the service and sacrifice of veterans, will be accepted on their own merits and the decades-long ban can finally be lifted."

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/03/16/boston-mayor-martin-walsh-skips-patrick-day-parade-because-exclusion-gays/tgB9CcaUQMNLGLKavwZYdN/story.html

[duvaldude08]

Next thing is there will be a push to have a gay understanding class in elementary schools. At some point you have to quit fighting about everything. I don't go around screaming that I'm a heterosexual and waving a big flag in front of my house claiming so. At some point enough is enough.

And you are not discriminated against for being heterosexual either. So your right, you would not get it. Its just like women for their rights, Africian Amercians fought for their rights, and so on...

[fsquid]

seems a bit silly, we are all there to get drunk anyways.

[peestandingup]

Are they excluding gays because a certain segment of the gay population wants to include gay-themed things into the parade, or are they just outright excluding gays altogether? Because there's a difference.

[springfieldlover]

They are not excluding gays at all, just excluding gay themed groups. I don't see the mass discrimination against gay people.

@duvaldude08 To compare the gay fight to that of woman and blacks is absolutely funny to me. Both women and blacks could not vote and were treated like secondary citizens. Completely different ball game than being gay.

[KenFSU]

^My sentiments exactly.

What non-discriminatory justification exists to exclude gay groups from participating in the parade?

"Becuz the religion" doesn't count.

[duvaldude08]

They are not excluding gays at all, just excluding gay themed groups. I don't see the mass discrimination against gay people.

@duvaldude08 To compare the gay fight to that of woman and blacks is absolutely funny to me. Both women and blacks could not vote and were treated like secondary citizens. Completely different ball game than being gay.

Angry much?

[carpnter]

Perhaps the media should be asking for copies of the guidelines or criteria that groups wanting to march must adhere to.  I suspect there is more to the story than is being reported.

[peestandingup]

They are not excluding gays at all, just excluding gay themed groups.

why?

My guess would be that event organizers probably have some guidelines that participants must adhere to, like leaving out sexual orientation stuff (gay or straight), political, etc.

I could be wrong, but this sounds like a rules thing & not a ban on gays thing. But like carpenter said, I'd still like to see the rules that are in place to be able to know for sure.

[Overstreet]

It seems as I recall in New York St Patricks day is March 17 complete with parade. Also in New York, Gay Pride is a week long event(s) and runs in mid to late June with parade.

[Scrub Palmetto]

I'm just surprised this is happening in cities like Boston and New York.

I only caught glimpses of Kansas City's parade from my living room window this morning, but the last time I was down on the street photographing the parade (2012), there were 3 LGBT groups -- the Missouri Gay Rodeo Association, the Mid-America Freedom Band, and Pride KC -- banners, giant rainbow flags, and all, and nobody seemed to be fainting as they passed by.

Yes, they were still St. Patrick's Day themed. That's the point. And there's a huge Irish community and heritage in this town, so this isn't just an isolated, bohunk Midwestern take on St. Patrick's Day. There were all kinds of businesses, organizations, clubs, whatever; people of many races and ethnicities, all kinds of music -- everything wasn't just Irish, but everything was celebrating the theme of the day. And so were the LGBT groups. Their participation was no more or less a celebration of being gay than the Kansas City Zoo's participation a celebration of being a zoo, or the KC Roller Warriors' of being a roller derby league.

However, they have barred the KC Atheist Coalition from participating. Go figure.

[Tacachale]

There was a whole court case about this: John J. Hurley and South Boston Allied War Veterans Council v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston, Etc.

In 1995 the Supreme Court ruled that private citizens like the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council were entitled to exclude groups like the Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston from taking part in their events if they present a "message" those private citizens don't want to be associated with.

The crux of the issue is, and has always been, LGBTQ groups, who are specifically excluded from participating as such. This year the AWVC almost let them participate, but wouldn't budge on displaying terms like "Gay" or "LGBT". Fine, they're exercising their right. In response, many people, companies and organizations are exercising their right not to associate with an event that discriminates against the LGBTQ community. It's likely more and more will follow suit.

This is a bad thing how?