All photos taken by Garry Rissman:
***WE WON!***
2015
Cops out, queers in!
2011
3/22/10
3/17/10
PRESS RELEASE: LGBT ire as NYPD Commissioner Kelly leads anti-gay St. Patrick's Parade
| PRESS RELEASE – immediate release Date: March 17, 2010 Contact: JF Mulligan 914-489-9204 Emmaia Gelman 917-517-3627 | |
LGBT IRE AS NYPD COMMISSIONER KELLY LEADS ANTI-GAY ST. PAT’S PARADE;
“IRISH QUEERS” INTEND LAWSUIT TO STOP NYPD & FDNY FROM MARCHING
New York – Lining the side of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade with civil rights slogans and chants, the NYC-based group Irish Queers protested the famously anti-gay parade today. Protesters charged that the participation of more than a dozen uniformed NYPD and FDNY contingents, featuring tens of thousands of marching police and firefighters, is a violation of both city law and LGBT civil rights. Parade spectators cheered the protest on, and many stopped to join in.
New York – Lining the side of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade with civil rights slogans and chants, the NYC-based group Irish Queers protested the famously anti-gay parade today. Protesters charged that the participation of more than a dozen uniformed NYPD and FDNY contingents, featuring tens of thousands of marching police and firefighters, is a violation of both city law and LGBT civil rights. Parade spectators cheered the protest on, and many stopped to join in.
Since 1993, the parade’s organizers have claimed an explicitly anti-gay message in the event, and have redefined the parade as a “private religious procession.” New York City law protects LGBT people against discrimination by police, firefighters and other arms of city administration.
“The NYC St. Patrick’s parade has been a battleground where the religious right tries to erase LGBT people,” said Tierney Gleason of Irish Queers. “The historically homophobic NYPD and FDNY support that exclusion by marching in uniform, en masse in this anti-gay demonstration.”
“Anti-gay discrimination is now illegal in both Ireland and New York City. The NYPD, FDNY and Mayor Bloomberg need catch up. As city representatives, they cannot legally march until parade organizers renounce their discriminatory message,” said JF Mulligan of Irish Queers.
“For two decades, we’ve stood on the parade sidelines and watched hordes of uniformed cops, firefighters and EMTs march in a parade that has been defined in court, by its organizers, as a homophobic parade. We’ve heard them call out, as they march past, that the only way we’ll march in ‘their’ parade is in coffins,” said Emmaia Gelman of Irish Queers.
“We’ve had our permits to protest the parade mysteriously held up and denied by the NYPD, and we’ve seen the city spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to cement any ‘NO’ they can legally hand out to us. When we’ve resorted to civil disobedience, we’ve experienced violent police hostility toward queers inside NYPD precincts – and toward those who challenge the parade’s hateful message. There is no remaining question about the meaning of NYPD participation in this parade,” Gelman said.
“The police presence at the parade is a strong symbol of the antipathy we already feel from them as LGBT people,” said Eustacia Smith, a protester with Irish Queers. “Every year, the parade reminds us that, if you’re queer, it’s often safer to avoid the police than to call on them for help.”
As Irish Queers pursues a civil rights lawsuit, protest against LGBT Irish groups’ exclusion from the parade continues. “The St. Patrick's Day parade is meant to celebrate Irish American heritage in general. We will be there to visibly remind parade goers that we are a thread of Irish American culture,” said Gabrielle Cryan of Irish Queers.
A statement released yesterday by Dublin LGBT groups censured the NYC St. Patrick’s Parade Committee from abroad. “[The exclusion of LGBT people] is deeply un-Irish and something that we cannot allow to happen in the name of an event that is about celebrating Ireland's rich cultural heritage, of which the LGBT community are a corner stone here in Ireland.”
For more info: www.irishqueers.org
3/16/10
Dublin Pride reprehends New York City's Patrick's Day parade organisers
16/03/2010
Dublin LGBTQ Pride has today criticised the St Patrick's Day Parade in New York City for its failure to include and allow representatives from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender groups to participate.
The exclusion of these groups from the St Patrick's Day festivities is inherently discriminatory and un-Irish, the group has claimed.
"The exclusion of any groups from celebrating our national holiday abroad is deeply discriminatory and rooted in close mindedness", said Frank Cleary, chairperson of Dublin Pride.
"This is deeply un-Irish and something that we cannot allow to happen in the name of an event that is about celebrating Ireland's rich cultural heritage, of which the LGBT community are a corner stone here in Ireland.
"Dublin Pride is calling on the organisers of the St. Patrick's Day festival in New York to cease their discrimination and to facilitate a full expression of the cultural diversity that exists in Ireland."
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/ireland/dublin-pride-reprehends-new-york-citys-patricks-day-parade-organisers-450266.html
(Thanks for the shout-out, Dublin Pride!)
Dublin LGBTQ Pride has today criticised the St Patrick's Day Parade in New York City for its failure to include and allow representatives from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender groups to participate.
The exclusion of these groups from the St Patrick's Day festivities is inherently discriminatory and un-Irish, the group has claimed.
"The exclusion of any groups from celebrating our national holiday abroad is deeply discriminatory and rooted in close mindedness", said Frank Cleary, chairperson of Dublin Pride.
"This is deeply un-Irish and something that we cannot allow to happen in the name of an event that is about celebrating Ireland's rich cultural heritage, of which the LGBT community are a corner stone here in Ireland.
"Dublin Pride is calling on the organisers of the St. Patrick's Day festival in New York to cease their discrimination and to facilitate a full expression of the cultural diversity that exists in Ireland."
http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/ireland/dublin-pride-reprehends-new-york-citys-patricks-day-parade-organisers-450266.html
(Thanks for the shout-out, Dublin Pride!)
$inn Fein Hypocrisy
Once again, Gerry Adams lost his principles some where over the Atlantic between Belfast and Boston. Last weekend, Adams participated in the anti-gay St. Patrick's Day Parade in Southie and made a speech at the Clover Club which does not allow women. It should be noted than many local politicians boycott the Southie parade because of its homophobia, just as many local politicians do not go to the Clover Club because of its inherent sexism.
Press was also barred from his speech at the Clover Club. He subsequently told the Irish Times:
"Obviously, I'm against exclusion, I'm for inclusivity. I made that point. I'm sorry you weren't allowed in, you should have been allowed in."
We think that his position is not obvious, and that he failed miserably to make his point. The best way to make the point would be refusing to attend. But that would jeopoardize the whole point of his trip, which is to raise funds from wealthy, right-wing, Irish American men wouldn't it?
*****UPDATE*****
From the blog of Gerry Adams....
There has been controversy around some of the parades, particularly those in New York and Boston because they refuse to allow gay and lesbian groups to participate. $inn Féin long ago made clear our opposition to exclusion. Our policy in support of gay and lesbian rights is long standing. However, we are not prepared to exclude ourselves from opportunitie$ to promote the peace process and $inn Féin’s objective of Irish unity.
This pathetic explanation tells us what we already know....LGBT people are not part of the "we" or the "our." If SF truly valued LGBT people, we would be part of the "we."
Press was also barred from his speech at the Clover Club. He subsequently told the Irish Times:
"Obviously, I'm against exclusion, I'm for inclusivity. I made that point. I'm sorry you weren't allowed in, you should have been allowed in."
We think that his position is not obvious, and that he failed miserably to make his point. The best way to make the point would be refusing to attend. But that would jeopoardize the whole point of his trip, which is to raise funds from wealthy, right-wing, Irish American men wouldn't it?
*****UPDATE*****
From the blog of Gerry Adams....
There has been controversy around some of the parades, particularly those in New York and Boston because they refuse to allow gay and lesbian groups to participate. $inn Féin long ago made clear our opposition to exclusion. Our policy in support of gay and lesbian rights is long standing. However, we are not prepared to exclude ourselves from opportunitie$ to promote the peace process and $inn Féin’s objective of Irish unity.
This pathetic explanation tells us what we already know....LGBT people are not part of the "we" or the "our." If SF truly valued LGBT people, we would be part of the "we."
3/15/10
2010 St. Patrick's Day Protest Press Advisory
Date: March 15, 2010
Contact: Emmaia Gelman 917-517-3627
Contact: Emmaia Gelman 917-517-3627
IRISH QUEERS PROTEST ANTI-GAY NYC ST. PATRICK’S PARADE FOR 20TH YEAR;
PLAN TO FILE SUIT TO BAR NYPD AND FDNY FROM MARCHING.
What:
At annual protest against anti-gay NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Irish Queers announce intention to file lawsuit barring uniformed NYPD and FDNY from marching in 2011 and future years.
Who:
Irish Queers, NYC-based group that has organized protest against the explicit homophobia of the NYC St. Patrick’s Parade over the past two decades. IQ is joined by representatives from the NYC lesbian, gay, bi and trans community, and other civil rights supporters.
When:
March 17, 2010 at 11am
Where:
Fifth Avenue at 57th Street (West side of the Avenue)
More info:
“For 20 years, the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade has been a battleground where the religious right has tried to erase and exclude LGBT people,” said Tierney Gleason of Irish Queers. “Historically homophobic institutions like the NYPD and FDNY have happily supported that exclusion by marching in uniform and en masse in this anti-gay demonstration.”
“Fortunately, anti-gay discrimination is now illegal in both Ireland and New York City. The NYPD, FDNY and Mayor Bloomberg need to do some catching up. As city representatives, they cannot legally march in the parade until the organizers renounce the homophobic exclusion of LGBT Irish groups,” said JF Mulligan of Irish Queers.
New York City law protects LGBT people against discrimination by police, firefighters and other arms of city administration. The organizers of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day have affirmed, over and over, that their parade carries an explicitly anti-gay religious message. Irish Queers has long asserted that participation by uniformed members of the NYPD and FDNY, as well as New York City mayors and other officials, is a violation of city law.
Deepening the link between the NYPD and the parade organizers’ message, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly will lead this year’s parade as Grand Marshal.
Irish Queers meet year-round as members of both Irish and queer communities. IQ, which evolved out of the Irish Lesbian & Gay Organization, works for immigrant justice, Northern Ireland self-determination, anti-racism and other issues.
3/14/10
Irish American LGBT Group Marching in Buffalo
Outspoken for Equality will be the first LGBT organization to march in Buffalo's "Old Neighborhood" St. Patrick's Day Parade. For more info, read this posting from Outcome (Buffalo's Gay Newspaper) and this interview with Kitty Lambert, one of the organizers.
3/11/10
Annual Parade Protest
Please join us at our annual protest on March 17th on Fifth Avenue @ 57th street (on the west side) from 11am - 12pm.
For more information, send us an e-mail.
For more information, send us an e-mail.
3/2/10
Looking for LGBT Law Students
Irish Queers is looking for LGBT law students to help us with research for a new angle to challenge LGBT exclusion from the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade. Please e-mail us if you would like to get involved. We promise.........it *will* be worth it.
3/1/10
From EDGE Boston: St. Patrick’s Day: NOT a great day to be Irish if you’re LGBT
"Private organizations, they said (Supreme Court), are protected under the First Amendment - even those that take up a large city’s main street for a day, cause traffic congestion, leave large amounts of refuse, include every public figure and huge contingents of public workers, and entail huge cost overruns for local police departments."
According to this article in EDGE Boston, there are only 3 Irish/St. Patrick's Day Parades that welcome our community - San Francisco's St. Patrick's Day Parade, Key West's St. Patrick's Day Parade, and St. Pat's for All in Queens.
Click here to read the full article about the history of LGBT exclusion from St. Patrick's Day parades in Boston and New York.
According to this article in EDGE Boston, there are only 3 Irish/St. Patrick's Day Parades that welcome our community - San Francisco's St. Patrick's Day Parade, Key West's St. Patrick's Day Parade, and St. Pat's for All in Queens.
Click here to read the full article about the history of LGBT exclusion from St. Patrick's Day parades in Boston and New York.