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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Time to welcome gays to march in Saint Patrick's Day parades

Posted on Monday, March 01, 2010 at 03:01 AM

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Only three St. Patrick's Day parades in America welcome gays as a group to march.

Two are in San Francisco and Key West Florida - both cities with very large Gay communities .

The third is a specially organized gay and lesbian led St. Patrick's celebration in Queens, New York usually attended by Mayor Bloomberg and other powerful political figures .

Ironically, in Ireland, where attitudes to gays are far behind those in many American cities, gays are welcome in both the Dublin and Cork marches, the two largest.

There are many and complex reasons why gays are so excluded from American marches, the much larger role of the Catholic Church for instance in the New York parade is one, but isn't it high time we got rid of the excuses that prevent gays from marching from coast to coast?

Isn't it time we of the heterosexual Irish community here in America extended that hand of friendship to gays in more marches? What on earth are we afraid of? They are our brothers, sisters, fellow workers, friends and family.

Some of the great heroes of Irish history such as Roger Casement and possibly Patrick Pearse were gay. Some of our great writers such as Oscar Wilde and Church leaders were undoubtedly gay also .One of the great heroes of 9/11, Father Mychal Judge, openly admitted he was gay. Was he any less a hero as a result?

So what's the big deal? What are we so afraid of ?

At a time when the military is reviewing its 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' it may be time we had our own Irish version of that I'll call 'Don't march, Go to hell" removed.

We are bigger than exclusion, better than keeping fellow Irish people out. We suffered enough exclusion in our time from 'No Irish Need Apply' in America to 'No Irish, Blacks or dogs' in Britain.

It's time we put up the Cead Mile Failte signs ( A hundred thousand welcomes) to all Irish irrespective of color, creed, or sexual orientation on St. Patrick's Day. It is beyond time actually. Who will be first to step forward?

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Conjoly | Mar 15, 2010, 02:43 AM EDT

Let's be clear. The St. Patrick's Day parade is not a religious celebration. It's a National Day celebration. Gay groups have been marching in the Dublin and Cork parades for years with absolutely no controversy. Have a look through the statistics, real Irish people are loooooong over this issue (a bill on same sex marriage is due to be presented in this Dail (that's if the coalition lasts)). Why are Irish Americans so very old-fashioned?

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JTravis | Mar 10, 2010, 04:07 PM EST

Gays always were and still are welcome ro march in the St Patricks Day Parades. Just not as a Gay Organization. None of the groups that do march proclaim they are Heterosexuals. Its about Patrick, NOT about Sexual Orientation.

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JimThompson | Mar 03, 2010, 08:36 PM EST

Why are we so worried ab out gays, etc. being equal. Thought homosexuality was more of a sickness or prevertedness rther than a third sex. Next we will be asking that we accept those that like young chuildren or animals as sex partners.

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VictoriaJosephine | Mar 03, 2010, 06:03 PM EST

Political statements are not allowed in the parade.Homosexuals have marched and will be continued to be welcomed to march-but not under a gay banner. Just as politicians are not allowed to carry banners in support of their political office.

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murphy666 | Mar 03, 2010, 12:20 PM EST

Gay parades should be confined to the Hershey Highway.

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Sonnycon | Mar 03, 2010, 11:11 AM EST

It is NOT a sexual orientation parade! What do people want...banners for bi-sexuals, trans-sexuals, etc. Enough already - New York has long had a gay pride parade. I'd bet the house that there have been homosexual people marching in every St. Patrick's...& probably every other parade for that matter. Stop trying to hijack this parade for a non ethnic/cultural related political agenda.

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Bushothehill | Mar 03, 2010, 09:32 AM EST

Last time I looked, St.Patrick's Day and parade was a religious commemeration of a great man of God who converted the pagans of Ireland to Christianity. Nothing to do with homosexuality other than forgiveness. The parade is not a place for organized banner-waving deviants and criminals.

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grimchieftain | Mar 03, 2010, 07:33 AM EST

I don't understand all the pandering to such a small, but vocal, minority. Their a minimal fraction of the population; so why all the kow towing?

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GuinnessGrrl | Mar 02, 2010, 07:17 PM EST

If you're a Christian, that makes you a follower of Christ & of Christ's words. There's nothing in the New Testament about Christ speaking out against it. If Jesus thought homosexuality was wrong, don't you think He would have mentioned it at least once?

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olovely | Mar 02, 2010, 04:35 PM EST

The more a man shouts about the evils of homosexuality the more his wife knows what he's up to when he's not home.

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Monsoonman | Mar 02, 2010, 12:36 PM EST

Hi, Monsoonman - what do you think about this? Well as the attorney said: ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people? WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight. ...I'll leave the censoring to the experts.

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Monsoonman | Mar 02, 2010, 12:15 PM EST

The parade could be divided up into proclivity divisions, each with its own trophy for originality, costume, artistic interpretation, etc. The divisions could be, not necessarily in this order: hetero, bi, tri, gay, nambla, undecided and a special mention for other species.

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Seventhson | Mar 02, 2010, 12:02 PM EST

You are wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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amurphy | Mar 02, 2010, 11:46 AM EST

Why not get rid of every banner and march behind one banner? No stepdancers flaunting their ability or unions flaunting their necessity or nurse their helpfulness, just one banner celebrating Irishness and nothing else.

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Monsoonman | Mar 02, 2010, 11:16 AM EST

Years ago when I woke up feeling happy I would open up my window and shout to the world I was feeling gay....but no more, my verb was turned into a noun. My take on the parade is that it should be about inclusion, lets honor and recognize everyone's sexual proclivities....no matter what they are, after all it's the only fair thing to do.

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