A ban on gay groups marching in New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade prompted Mayor Bill de Blasio to boycott the parade in 2014. He was the first mayor in 20 years who refused to attend the celebration and he won't be attending this year, either.
This year, a corporate resource group for gay employees of NBC Universal, OUT@NBCUniversal, has been given the green light to march on March 17, but de Blasio still refuses to attend the parade because he says one group is not enough.
The mayor participated in the gay-friendly parade in Sunnyside, Queens on March 1, but wouldn't commit to marching in the 5th Avenue event. "I'm not ready to commit to marching, because all we've heard is that one delegation related to NBC will be allowed to have members of the LGBT community in it," de Blasio told the NY Daily News. "A lot of people feel, I think rightfully, that that is too small a change to merit a lot of us participating who have wanted to see an inclusive parade."
Based on the Roman Catholic opposition to homosexuality, the organizers of New York City's Irish parade have a long history of denying entry to gay groups. The Catholic Church has become more tolerant of homosexual members of its congregation, but has not reversed its official outlook on homosexuality.
Despite the conflict in doctrine, Cardinal Timothy Dolan is this year's grand marshal. The conservative Catholic magazine Crisis claims that Dolan said he would pull out of the parade should LGBT groups be allowed to participate. The Cardinal later wrote, "[T]he committee's decision allows a group to publicize its identity, not promote actions contrary to the values of the Church that are such an essential part of Irish culture. I have been assured that the new group marching is not promoting an agenda contrary to Church teaching, but simply identifying themselves as 'Gay people of Irish ancestry.'"
While some call for pulling out, other sponsors are now back in, including Guinness and Heineken. "We are delighted to announce that Guinness has made the decision to resume its sponsorship of the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade," its parent company, Diageo, said in a written statement, according to USA Today. "While there is still work to be done, we are pleased that the parade organizers have taken steps to allow the LGBT community to be represented. The parade is an important way for Guinness to support the Irish community, and we look forward to celebrating with millions of New Yorkers on March 17th."
According to The New York Times, Craig Robinson, executive vice president and chief diversity officer of NBC Universal, said in a statement, "We approach the opportunity with respect for the event's heritage, culture and tradition, as well as hope and excitement for this first step towards an increasingly inclusive era for the parade."
De Blasio's office recently issued a statement reiterating his stance on marching in the parade, according to USA Today: "St. Patrick's Day parades from Boston to Dublin have opened their arms to the LGBT community. The decision by the 5th Avenue parade organizers to include one group from NBC, while a step in the right direction, is still not inclusive enough. The mayor hopes more progress can be made soon, and the parade will be more inclusive in the future, and if that happens he will be happy to participate. But until then, he will continue to decline to march."
OUT@NBCUniversal posted on Facebook, "We are proud to become the 1st LGBT group to march in New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade."
