While searching for Pride info for Ireland...

[DVC~OKW~96]

I ran across this information. I had no idea...


Dublin Pride Reprehends New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade
Today Dublin LGBTQ Pride has criticised the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City for its failure to include and allow representatives from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender groups participate in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York. The exclusion of LGBT groups from the St. Patrick's Day festivities is inherently discriminatory and un-Irish.

"The exclusion of any groups from celebrating our national holiday abroad is deeply discriminatory and rooted in close mindedness; this is deeply un-Irish and something that we cannot allow to happen in the name of an event that is about celebrating Ireland's rich cultural heritage, of which the LGBT community are a corner stone here in Ireland", said Frank Cleary, Chairperson of Dublin Pride today.

Dublin Pride is calling on the organisers of the St. Patrick's Day festival in New York to cease their discrimination and to facilitate a full expression of the cultural diversity that exists in Ireland.

16th March, 2010

 

[dustyraye]

This has been an issue with the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade for a long time. Some years it gets more press than others, but it's been going on for many years.

There are those who argue that because Saint Patrick's Day is by definition a Catholic holiday, they are OK in following the Church's teachings and not allowing the LGBT groups to march. But I'm the child of Irish Catholic immigrants who never heard of "celebrating" St. Patrick's Day with parades and parties until they moved to the US - it was a religious holiday, like all the other "Saints Days" on the church calendar. Somehow, drunken debauchery doesn't seem like it would fit in with the Church's teachings either, but that doesn't seem to stop anybody...

For what it's worth, my parents never had corned beef & cabbage until they moved to the US either.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

Now see? I totally missed this. Thanks for the history!

To clarify, what I missed was that the gay community of Dublin spoke out... Sorry for any confusion!

Yes, I know. I've had any number of relatives tell me that St. Patrick's Day in Ireland was a solemn day, religious, and usually in Lent.

 

[hematite153]

Yeah, I'm mostly Irish/Canadian and I was startled to discover how much celebrating occurs on St. Patrick's Day in the US. It was always just a day. (Apparently, there are some big celebrations here now, but, I think they are more modern than traditional.)

 

[MassJester]

I've never gotten my panties in a bunch over the whole St. Patrick's Day Parade thing.

There are plenty of groups that I wouldn't welcome into the Gay Pride Parade.

People should be able to have their own parades, and make their own statements -- no matter how screwy, inconsistent, or just plain odd other people think they are.

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

I've never gotten my panties in a bunch over the whole St. Patrick's Day Parade thing.

There are plenty of groups that I wouldn't welcome into the Gay Pride Parade.

People should be able to have their own parades, and make their own statements -- no matter how screwy, inconsistent, or just plain odd other people think they are.

Really? Well, that's a point of view I hadn't considered.

I think I would welcome anyone who cared to join though, even those stereotypically intolerant groups like Skin Heads, ect.

As long as they are parading with the Gay Pride events and not alongside trying to disrupt.

From my perspective, inclusion in a parade shows acceptance for the purpose of the parade...

 

[MassJester]

Really? Well, that's a point of view I hadn't considered.

I think I would welcome anyone who cared to join though, even those stereotypically intolerant groups like Skin Heads, ect.

As long as they are parading with the Gay Pride events and not alongside trying to disrupt.

From my perspective, inclusion in a parade shows acceptance for the purpose of the parade...

The problem with that is: who decides what is "disruptive"?

 

[DVC~OKW~96]

It's an individual decision. Disruption of the soul may well be legal, but no less painful than disruption of the peace.

I'd rather see the Skinheads (and please, I'm using that term solely as a generic term, no specific reference intended) IN the parade than standing alongside with loudspeakers yelling epithets.

Same as the overly religious faction. I find it personally offensive that they attend Orlando Pride and shout bible verses over a sound system and state that our way of being is a sin. Much rather have them marching IN the parade, then they are WITH us and not "out there" against us.

Again, all a matter of personal perspective. You have yours. I have mine. Easy peasy...