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[gofreak]

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/worl...ay-parade-lifts-ban-on-gay-marchers-1.1916487

About time!

The organisers of the New York City St Patrick’s Day parade, the largest in the world, are lifting a ban prohibiting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups from marching with banners and signs openly identifying themselves.

The ban was ended following mounting political pressure after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to march earlier this year and Guinness dropped its sponsorship of the event over the exclusion of gay groups marching with their own banners.

The parade committee said that a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender group at US television station NBC, known as OUT@NBCUniversal, would be allowed to march in next year’s Fifth Avenue parade in Manhattan under their banner.

NBC, which broadcasts the parade every year, threatened to end its coverage of the event over the prohibition of openly gay marchers.

While sponsors were a key motivator, there was some surprising influence from other quarters:

The grand marshal of next year’s parade, the 254th parade, is Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York who last year supported the participation of gay marchers. He will be announced as the grand marshal at an event in New York today. His involvement was seen as crucial to the compromise over the inclusion of openly gay groups being reached with the parade’s organisers.

More at link. Get your rainbow-colored shamrocks ready!

 

[LQX]

Why would they choose that day to march though? Not in the sense of LGBT individuals marching but rather with the flags. Isn't that intrusive on another's celebration?

 

[Escape Goat]

 

[Union Carbine]

Good to hear but I'm glad that my office should be relocated out of midtown by the time the next parade hits. It's such a train wreck-- nothing like packs of beyond sloppy drunks in neon green Dr. Seuss hats mumbling incoherently and shambling down the streets at 10AM.

 

[Oblong Schlong]

Why would they choose that day to march though? Not in the sense of LGBT individuals marching but rather with the flags. Isn't that intrusive on another's celebration?

I'm gonna say that the average LGBT marcher is pretty much as Irish as the average NYC St Patrick's Day marcher.

 

[Zombine]

That parade is fun for about an hour and then it becomes a slog. Glad that ban was dropped though.