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Participant in St. Pat's for All parade

The St. Pat's for All parade is an annual event that honors Irish culture and promotes inclusivity. It was established on March 5, 2000, and takes place in the Sunnyside and Woodside neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, which traditionally have been home to Irish communities. The parade was initiated by Brendan Fay, a gay Irish immigrant, in response to the exclusion of LGBTQ+ groups like the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization from the St. Patrick's Day parade. Fay's objective is to celebrate the diversity of New York City, guided by the motto "Cherishing All the Children of the Nation Equally," which originates from the proclamation of the Irish Republic during the Easter Rising of 1916.[1] The most recent parade occurred on March 5, 2023.[2]

Socio-historical context

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In 1990, the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO) sought permission to participate in the 1991 St. Patrick's Day Parade with a pride banner. Unfortunately, their request was denied by the parade organizers, the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH). AOH justified their decision by citing time constraints and a long waitlist of 40 groups, including ILGO. Despite Mayor David Dinkins offering to extend the parade to accommodate all groups, AOH postponed ILGO's application, arguing that priority should be given to earlier applicants. AOH also stated that only signs identifying a group's country, city, or fraternity were permitted in the parade, as they aimed to uphold Irish identity and tradition in New York City. [3] Mayor Dinkins, influenced by LGBTQ+ activists, attempted to find a compromise with AOH. Eventually, an agreement was reached: ILGO would march alongside the Midtown Manhattan Chapter of AOH, but without displaying a banner or openly expressing their sexual orientation.[3]

It was like marching in Selma, Alabama.

New York City Mayor David Dinkins

Nevertheless, during the entire duration of the parade, ILGO faced homophobic heckling and physical abuse from the crowd, “including flying beer cans.”[4] Mayor Dinkins went so far as to compare the experience to marching in Selma, Alabama during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. AOH attributed the disruptive behavior of the public to ILGO’s presence in the parade, and officially banned ILGO from future parades.[5] The support for ILGO was widespread, with many individuals standing in solidarity. In a notable act of protest, Mayor Dinkins himself boycotted the St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1992, breaking a tradition that had lasted since 1923.[5] In 1993, AOH achieved a legal victory that led to the banning of gay groups from marching in the parade, which the AOH framed as a triumphant celebration of traditional Catholic values.[1] [6] The ban on LGBTQ participation in the St. Patrick's Day Parade faced persistent opposition from activists, leading to 228 arrests for civil disobedience just in 1993.[5] Over time, ILGO members made it “their yearly St. Patrick’s Day ritual” to protest their exclusion before the parade began by “chanting ‘We’re here, we’re queer, we’ll be here every year!’...before being arrested and taken into custody, safely out of sight and out of mind for the duration of the parade.”[4]

Brendan Fay and Turloch McNallis are arrested for protesting the exclusion of gays in the New York City St. Patrick's parade

Among those deeply influenced by the events was Brendan Fay, an Irish gay immigrant residing in Queens. Having migrated from Drogheda, Ireland in 1984 and worked as a religious teacher at Mary Louis Academy, Fay was fired after marching alongside ILGO in 1991. This act of discrimination propelled Fay to become an activist, engaging in civil disobedience to challenge the ban on ILGO's participation in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.[5] In 1994, Brendan Fay established the Lavender and Green Alliance, a LGBTQ organization focused on promoting LGBTQ acceptance and celebrating Irish heritage.Throughout the years, Lavender and Green, ILGO and their supporters actively protested the exclusion of openly gay Irish individuals from participating in the Fifth Avenue parade.[1]

Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston

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In 1995, the US Supreme Court reached a unanimous decision in the case of Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston, [3][5] which closely paralleled the situation faced by ILGO in their pursuit to participate in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The court's ruling dealt a significant blow to ILGO by affirming the constitutional right of parade organizers to exclude gay marchers. The decision upheld the organizers' freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment, with Justice David Souter emphasizing that parades should be regarded as a form of expression rather than mere movement. Consequently, the parade organizers retained the authority to exclude individuals or groups as they saw fit.[3][5] Undeterred by the legal setback, ILGO persevered in their endeavors to be included in the parade. The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade became a significant platform for political figures such as Michael Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton to gain or lose support from various communities, as they strategically leveraged their positions concerning the parade to connect with their constituencies and forge political alliances.[5]

In 2006, in an attempt to address the longstanding conflict that had endured since 1990, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, an Irish American and the first openly gay leader of the New York City Council, initiated discussions with AOH to seek a resolution. Her proposal involved allowing LGBT organizations to participate in the parade, on the condition that they wore sashes or pins displaying their affiliations rather than carrying explicit self-identifying banners.[3] Finally, in 2016, the St. Patrick's Day Parade embraced the inclusion of the Lavender and Green Alliance, led by Brendan Fay, allowing them to proudly march with their banner—an important milestone in the parade's history.[5]

Foundation of St. Pat’s For All

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Unidentified participants prepare to march in the first St. Pat's for All parade

In 2000, Brendan Fay founded St. Pat's for All, an all-inclusive alternative to the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Alongside Ellen Duncan from the Ethical Culture Society of Queens, he served as a co-chair for the event held on Sunday, March 5th. The parade was organized by individuals of Irish descent, both gay and straight, including Daniel Dromm, the founder of the Queens Pride Parade. St. Pat’s For All’s main objective was to honor and embrace the diverse population of New York City, by embodying the motto “Cherishing All the Children of the Nation Equally,” which originates from the proclamation of the Irish Republic during the Easter Rising of 1916. While it stood as the city's sole St. Patrick's parade welcoming the participation of LGBT individuals, St. Pat’s For All aimed to transcend categorizations as solely a gay pride parade or an Irish parade, embracing the fusion of both and providing a platform for individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, to come together and celebrate Irish culture. St. Pat's for All welcomed individuals from diverse ethnicities and cultures, creating a platform for a vibrant and multicultural celebration.[1] Chief Dark Cloud of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma performed a shamanic ritual to bless the parade, acknowledging the deep historical connection between the Choctaw people and the Irish. [4]

The parade route traversed two historically Irish neighborhoods, stretching along Skillman Avenue from 43rd Street in Sunnyside to 58th Street in Woodside[1]. The parade's location in Woodside was specifically selected for its significant number of foreign-born residents, surpassing the city's average.[3] During the inaugural parade, a moment of silence was observed in honor of Robert Rygor, who had advocated against the exclusion of gay individuals from the 5th Avenue parade until his passing from health complications related to AIDS in 1994. Among the marchers were representatives from the Korean and Chilean communities, ILGO, Lavender and Green, Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, SAGE, Dignity/New York, Queens Gays & Lesbians United, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, PFLAG's Queens chapter, Irish Arts Center, Emerald Isle Immigration Center, the Sunnyside Drum Corps, Father Mychal F. Judge of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Manhattan, and then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose presence created “massive publicity” for the parade.[1][4]

Ms. Colombia at St. Pat's for All parade 2013

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, the 2002 St. Pat’s was dedicated to the memory of Father Judge, who became the first recorded fatality of 9/11. Among the participants in that year's parade was the newly elected Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg[3]. Other notable elected officials who have marched at the parade include Mayor Bill de Blasio and Senator Thomas Duane.[5]

Over the years, St. Pat’s For All has consistently gained momentum, drawing crowds from the local Queens community as it continues to welcome a diverse range of groups celebrating their Irish connections.

The Mexican community paid tribute to the San Patricio Battalion, an Irish regiment that fought for Mexico during the Mexican-American War. The Ecuadorian community honored Thomas Charles Wright, an Irish-born founder of the Ecuadorian navy. Similarly, the Argentinean community marched in honor of William Brown, an Irish-born national hero who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Argentinean Navy. The African American community joined under the NAACP banner, acknowledging the strong ties between Frederick Douglass and the Irish during the nineteenth century. Labor organizations have participated to honor Mother Jones, the Irish-born American labor campaigner. One notable group, the "Keltic Dreamers," comprises local African-American and Latino children who showcase their love for Irish music and dance, embodying the parade's theme and spirit.[4]

Grand Marshals

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2023

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2022

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  • Tarlach MacNiallais: An Irish immigrant, an LGBTQ-rights and disability-rights activist, and a long-time St. Pats For All board member. He passed away from COVID-19, and his family members served as Grand Marshalls of the parade held in his honor.[7]

2019[8]

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2018[9]

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  • Dan Barry: Of the New York Times
  • Kathleen Sullivan: A nuclear-disarmament activist

2017[10]

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  • Phil Donahue: Television icon
  • Anastasia Somoza: Human rights advocate

2016[11]

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  • Colum McCann: Irish author
  • Loretta Brennan Glucksman: Irish-American philanthropist

2015[12]

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2014[13]

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  • Thomas Duane: Former State Senator and gay rights activist and sponsor of the same-sex marriage law
  • Terry McGovern: Founder of the HIV Law Project

2013[14]

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  • Pauline Turley: Vice chair of the Irish Arts Center's board of directors
  • Aidan Connolly: The Center's executive director

2011[15]

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  • Patricia Lewsley: Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children & Young People
  • James P. Cullen: Human rights advisor to President Obama

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Davis, Amanda. "St. Pat's for All Parade – NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project". www.nyclgbtsites.org. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  2. ^ "ST. PAT'S FOR ALL". ST. PAT'S FOR ALL. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Mulligan, Adrian N. “Countering Exclusion: The ‘St. Pats for All’ Parade.” Gender, Place and Culture: a Journal of Feminist Geography, vol. 15, no. 2, 2008, pp. 153–67.
  4. ^ a b c d e Mulligan, Adrian N. “Parading Possibility: ‘St. Pat’s for All’ and the Re-Imagining of Irishness.” Which Direction Ireland?: Proceedings of the 2006 ACIS Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, 2007.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Petrus, Stephen. "New York City History Archive of LaGuardia & Wagner Archives" (PDF). www.laguardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  6. ^ Perez-Pena, Richard (1993-02-21). "Uncertainty Over Parade Has Merchants Worried". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  7. ^ Michael Dorgan (2022-03-07). "Thousands Turn Out For Return of St. Pats For All Parade". Sunnyside Post. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  8. ^ Debbie McGoldrick. "Queens St. Pat's For All parade celebrates 20 years in 2019". IrishCentral.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  9. ^ "St. Pat's For All Parade Set For Sunday". Sunnyside Post. 2018-02-26. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  10. ^ "PHOTOS: St. Pat's for All Parade in Sunnyside & Woodside celebrates Ireland in style – QNS.com". qns.com. 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  11. ^ "St. Pat's For All to Take Place March 6, Grand Marshals are Colum McCann and Loretta Brennan Glucksman". Sunnyside Post. 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  12. ^ "Sunnyside Gears Up to Celebrate 'St Pat's For All'". Sunnyside Post. 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  13. ^ Pozarycki, Robert (2014-02-27). "Everyone's Irish for a Day at 'st. Pat's for All' March – QNS.com". qns.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  14. ^ "Sunnyside Gears up to Celebrate 'St Pat's for All'". Sunnyside Post. 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  15. ^ Lyons, Jessica (2011-03-08). "'St. Pat's For All (Weather) Parade' – QNS.com". qns.com. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
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