Irish Foreign Minister criticises ban on gays in St.Patrick’s Parade

Turns out there is a Saint Clarence, a French bishop who today is the patron saint of prisoners. There have got to be a lot of candidates for patron saint of gay people, if only because throughout history there have been millions and millions of gay people. At least some of them must have lived saintly lives.

I don't think we can presume that a given group won't behave themselves while on parade. Put them on notice beforehand that there should not be any men dressed up as nuns and that other forms of outrageous behavior won't be tolerated either. Every year, for example, Lesbians parade topless on New York streets, and they shouldn't be allowed to do that in the St. Patrick's Day parade.

I'm still stuck for a name - how about the Michelangelo Society? He's certainly Catholic because he painted the Sistine Chapel, and gays have claimed him for generations. I'd say they could probably get away with calling themselves the Mattachine Society, but I have no idea what Mattachine means.

dennis..but they still don't know how to behave.

It seems to me that the gays could mount a public relations offensive and force the issue. First they find a gay saint and name their organization after that person.

Let's say they call themselves the Saint Clarence Society. They'd commission a banner and make appearances in various venues throughout the year. Everybody would soon forget that Saint Clarence is a gay saint and it wouldn't be a big deal that members of the society march under that banner in the Manhattan parade on St. Patrick's Day.

I don't know if there is a Saint Clarence, but there have got to be a number of gay saints. Why wouldn't there be? Supposedly it's genetic, and there's always a percentage of the population that are gay.

Even if they can't find a saint, they can find an eminent public figure - some great leader or poet. They can name themselves after that person, and re-apply for a place in the line of march.

Gays in the parade would not be a problem but they don't know how to behave.

Eamon Gilmore...Don't you have other things to be thinking about!! Now get to work!! Smack!! Smack!!! Gays indeed.

The Catholics here who still want to exclude LGBTs do not seem to realize, as they write about what they think is right, that for many of us it is clearly WRONG--immoral and inhumane, narrow-minded and mean-spirited--to practice exclusion on the basis of sexual orientation. It is as wrong as it was for previous generations to exclude on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, or degree of handicap. You live in a pluralist society, and you should be willing to respect the freedom of conscience of those whose moral principles are different from yours and more like Gilmore's and the Irish of Ireland. Tolerance is a virtue; intolerance is a vice.

Why can't they just march as Irishmen and women?? Why do they have to march as GAY Irish men and women? Gays are not banned from marching...they can march in the parade...just not under the Gay thing. I just don't get it. Do we have a separate category for straight Irish to march in?? Like Narrowback said...I think it's the activists that push this type of thing. Anything to stir it up!

It's a Catholic parade allright; it's also a beer drinking, pub swelling celebration; it's also a military recruitment parade; it's also a police and fire department parade; it's also a political and religious photo opportunity; it's also an opportunity for the Irish (gay and straight) to take pride in their ancestry. So open your arms and your heart and your mind katieherk and be the generous person your ancestors hoped you'd be.

If the groups with banners denouncing the gay lifestyle would be allowed in the NY gay pride parade...I would be silent and turn my back to it.

many gays march in the parade with the organization they belong too. it is the groups like actup and code pink who cause all of the commotion. The same groups that disrupted mass and threw the Holy Communion on the floor at St Patricks.

There will be a day, I hope, when all are 'open-minded', and less idiotic to SAINT PATRICK AND GOD ON SAINT PATRICK'S DAY.Yes, it is a great day FOR CATHOLICS, and of us whom are IRISH. Upon that is celebrating the day by celebrating the man, SAINT PATRICK. a follower of the Lord, and Catholic. We love all people and show respect, but we do not acknowledge nor support the (fake) 'gay' community nor support their life style. to celebrate a sinful lifestyle is pissing on St. Patrick's grave, and into the wind.

The day will hopefully soon come when the organizers of The Parade will be a more open-minded and less-phobic lot, and gays will be welcomed to celebrate their ancestry like all of us. And everyone will wonder what all the fuss was about.

It began as a Catholic parade, but in some places it's now a parade that celebrates St. Patrick and Irish heritage and includes Protestants of Irish ancestry.

As usual the gays are trying to take over everything. First, this is not a parade for gays or straights... it's an Irish/Catholic parade. If gays fit in that category, great... march, but not carrying the stupid gay flag. When will they realize this is not about THEM? For the sake of sanity please do not allow them to march as gays but allow them as Irish or Catholic!!!

The Berlin wall came down, the USSR dissolved, peace in Northern Ireland, the Queen is coming to Ireland. Is it possible the NYC parade organizers will see the light???