Irish LGBT activists are protesting against the decision to allow OUT@NBCUniversal to take part in next year's New York St. Patrick's Day Parade because the event continues to exclude other gay groups
Irish LGBT activists are protesting against the decision to allow OUT@NBCUniversal to take part in next year's New York St. Patrick's Day Parade because the event continues to exclude other gay groups, reports Newsweek.
OUT@NBCUniversal, Universal's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Straight Ally Employee Alliance, will be the first LGBT group to participate in the parade.
This year, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio boycotted the parade because of its anti-gay policy. The City Council, many Irish politicians and Guinness followed suit. Despite this, Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny made the decision to take part last March.
In a letter to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, activists from groups including Irish Queers argued:
“Instead of that pressure leading to Irish LGBTQ groups taking their rightful place in the community's parade, OUT@NBCUniversal has jumped into the space it created.
"OUT@NBCUniversal is the gay employee/marketing group of the parade's sponsor. The Irish LGBTQ community is still excluded from the parade. The ‘lifting of the ban' is a sham.”
The letter also reiterates recent demands that OUT@NBCUniversal “withdraw from the parade until Irish LGBTQ groups are part of the parade” and calls for de Blasio and Mark-Viverito to boycott next year's event.
Irish Queers was denied a request to take part in 2015 because organizers say the parade is full. It is thought that two other Irish LGBT groups' applications were also denied.
De Blasio and Mark-Viverito have both indicated that they have yet to make a decision regarding next March 17th.
Watch a report on the fight for LGBT inclusion in the New York parade, AFTER THE JUMP…
