Out@NBC will step off towards the very back of this year’s New York City parade at 3:20 in the afternoon with only a handful of groups behind them.
They will step off from West 48th Street directly behind the County Kildare Association and the Cohoes High School Band and ahead of the Port Richmond High School band and the American Irish Teachers Association.
Most of the crowd on the route will have long disappeared as the historic first gay group to march in the New York parade makes its way up Fifth Avenue. TV coverage will also be over.
The parade will have been underway from 10:45 am that morning, led by the Grand Marshal, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the NYPD marching band and the Police Department Holy Name Society.
According to the line of march, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, the man who introduced gay marriage in the state, will be among the first groups to march, breaking ranks with Mayor de Blasio and other city officials who claim the parade is still discriminating against Irish gay groups.
Also, Heineken have rejoined as a parade sponsor following the decision by Guinness to become involved again.
Meanwhile, there are last minute efforts to have the Irish Lavender and Green group march without their banners with Out@NBC, according to sources.
Parade sources have told IrishCentral that Lavender and Green, led by long time activist Brendan Fay, would almost definitely be allowed to march under their own banner in 2016, but that there were still negotiations about having them march with Out@NBC this year.
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