The LGBTQ group marched for the first time under its own banner at St. Patrick's Day parade on Staten Island on Sunday, what organizers called “a huge day for the queer community.”
The parade – the last local St. Paddy march to have a exclusive ban on such groups – decided in November that the Community-based Pride Centre on Staten Island can take part in its 61st annual event. According to Silive.
KC Hankins, a 32-year-old organizer in the queer community, was thrilled to see parade officials finally arrive.
“After more than 10 years [denying] We are finally allowed as LGBT people march in the parade,” Hankins said. “It is a big day when the queer community is welcomed in our own community.
“This is a consistent effort by the queer people of Staten Island to say we belong to the community and we are continuing to make sure we are informed that we belong.”
The parade descended at Forest Avenue and Heart Boulevard around 12:30pm, with spectators greeted the new participants with overwhelming cheers and applause.
“It's a real victory for this community… I'm here,” said Mayor Eric Adams, who marched with the group. “They say they are proud to be Irish and they take pride in becoming a member of the LGBTQ+ community – [it’s] Something we were always standing there.
“Their resilience has shown you that if you stand up to the right thing, you always win,” Hezoner said. He was charged with bribery last year and went to trial until the Trump White House recently filed a lawsuit against him.
“Congratulations to them all and what they accomplished,” Adams said of the group's Sunday inclusion.
The Staten Island parade was the only local anti-LGBTQ holdout for many years. For example, the Bronx Throggs Neck Parade allowed organizational members of the LGBTQ community to march under the flag from 2022. Manhattan's Mammoth Event began allowing people to attend down Fifth Avenue about seven years ago.
The inclusion in the Manhattan parade only came after Guinness's sponsorship draw and massive protests, including NBC, which threatened to stop broadcasting the event until organizers changed the tune.
In recent years, the number of participating organizations has been decreasing on Staten Island. Perhaps the consequences of boycotts and the frustration of officials over anti-LGBTQ stances, Silib said.
Club Forest, Jody's Irish bar on Forest Avenue, has put the brakes on the traditional political breakfast in solidarity with a group that was ruled out two years ago.
The November decision was nearly a third in 2024 as 80 groups signed up to walk this year.
On Sunday, Forestrestaurant Avenue was packing up revelries as local officials were busy in small Jody.
“We are delighted that the Pride Center will march with us,” said Edward Patterson, new chairman of the Richmond County St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee.
“Our focus remains on the culture, traditions, history and faith of St. Patrick and the Irish people,” he said. “They are part of the community and are proud to have a Pride Center.”
Carol Bullock, executive director of Pride Center, told Silive in advance:
“It's going to be really great.”
However, the lead-up was not without controversy.
Local Catholic leaders have made it clear he has not been on the changes.
“When it was decided that members of the Pride Centre would be able to participate in the parade and march under their banners, I had no choice but to move the parish away from the event and deny the use of the facility.” In last month's weekly news.
“The Pride Centre promotes ideas and practices that blatantly contradict church teachings,” Hesid said.
“That's an indisputable fact. [The Pride Center’s] The presence in the parade means that not only rallies promote it, but actually undermine Catholic devotion. ”
Byrne has banned the Parade Committee from using the parish as a sign-up spot for marchers, as it has been in the past.
“I don't support parades, so the facility here is unavailable,” he said. I told Silive.
But even some Byrne's own parishioners opposed his views.
“As a longtime parishioner, I am embarrassed by this statement,” a church attendee told the outlet. “I have no words about how the bishop doesn't touch the community and his own parishioners.”
Another parishioner said, “I learned Jesus would never write such a divisive letter, and, frankly, never make a terrible statement in such a judgement.
“It's not like Christ.”
On Sunday, the parish priest, Father Frank, said the church still forced people to use toilets during the event, and the differences of opinion came from the church's teachings.
“I hope they understand the USM too because that's the church attitude,” he said.
Some onlookers, including 56-year-old Christine McCord, said they didn't feel “need” to fly banners during the parade.
“We're moving forward and we're including everyone, so I think that's a good thing,” she said. “But I don't think that's necessary. We don't need to separate who and who, because we're supposed to include everyone.”
Others said they were happy that the group was allowed to walk.
“The parade was a beautiful celebration. I'm glad they finally got LGBTQ members marching today!” another woman said. “They deserve it! It's been a while. Let's go!”
