O HIJINKS! Bill Donohue can march in NYC Pride - but does he want to?

File under hilarious unintended consequences (Irish Queers' or Bill Donohue's, take your pick.) Right-Catholic bigot Bill Donohue has applied to march in Pride. Unfortunately for him, NYC Pride organizers said "sure!" Now he's stuck with it -- although apparently he hasn't actually registered yet and is trying to wiggle out. Major kudos to Heritage of Pride for rolling with the punches. Below are the news clips from March 20 and 21, 2014. Your...

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Ireland & around there: News clips from St. Patrick's Day protest

The Guardian | Associated Press | 3/17/14 New York mayor to skip St Patrick's Day parade over gay rights dispute http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/17/new-york-mayor-skip-st-patricks-day-parade Irish Times | 3/17/14 | Simon Carswell Guinness pulls sponsorship of New York parade over gay ban http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/guinness-pulls-sponsorship-of-new-york-parade-over-gay-ban-1.1728158 Irish Times | 3/17/14 | Simon Carswell Taoiseach Defends Decision to March in New York Parade http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/taoiseach-defends-decision-to-march-in-new-york-parade-1.1728472 Irish...

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News clips from St. Patrick's Day protest!

Here's the big, serious round-up of NYC and US press clips from yesterday's protest! International press clips will be posted shortly. xo IQ ---- Village Voice | March 18, 2014 | Anna Merlan This Was The Gayest St. Patrick's Day Ever, Relatively Speaking http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2014/03/st_patricks_day_stonewall_inn_guinness_parade_homophobia.php Village Voice | March 18, 2014 | Jenna Pope Irish Queers Rally...

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Scott Lively shines some reality on St Patrick's parades

This is it, folks. The crossover is complete. After filtering out Irish LGBT groups and other Irish groups whose "message" the parade organizers don't like, and after making these cherished old Irish parades "private" and "Catholic" and all about military men and their gritted-teeth-smiling wives, the jig is up. These are the dregs. All that remains is the swill of homophobia and murderous religious-right.He's done with Uganda and Nigeria, and now...

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3/17 statement from Irish Queers

STATEMENT FROM IRISH QUEERSPROTEST @ NYC ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADEMARCH 17, 2014 We are encouraged and happy that Heineken and Guinness have just dropped their sponsorship of the NYC St Patrick's Day parade because of the parade’s unapologetic homophobia. The hatred represented by this parade has gotten clearer and more untenable every year for more than two decades. Those who still stand with the parade are making a clear choice to endorse bigotry. That includes Ford Motors, NBC, Fordham University – and the NYPD. It’s incredible that...

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PROTEST THIS MORNING, 10:30am

Irish Queers will be joined by (hooray!) a whole big bunch of other LGBTQ groups and allies, including police accountability groups. We're protesting on the WEST side of Fifth Ave, between 56th and 57th Streets. Oh, trust us, you'll see us! We'll have cupcakes and the fabulousness the Rude Mechanical Orchestra to make it fun. It's not always fun. But this year -- super fun. In case you don't spend all your time following the developments: Heineken...

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Sign petition to Commissioner Bratton!

The St. Patrick's Day parade is such a bastion of bias that the Mayor can't march, the City Council can't march, and sponsors are dropping out. So why on earth would the NYPD think it's okay to march? Commissioner Bratton refused to even acknowledge the issue until reporters prodded him. Then his only answer was "I have a gay sister." That doesn't cut it. Please sign and SHARE this petition to Commissioner Bratton. He gets an email every time...

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HUGE: Guinness drops antigay St Patrick's parade!

Guinness' statement:"Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all. We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year’s parade. As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation. We will continue to work with community leaders to ensure that future parades have an inclusionary policy."http://www.glaad.org/blog/guinness-drops-sponsorship-anti-lgbt-nyc-st-patricks-day-par...

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Heady days. Change ahead?

Is Irish Queers' long, cold winter about to warm up? PSNI have just been disinvited from marching in the St. Patrick's Day parade by community outcry. Heineken just pulled their sponsorship because of the parade's homophobia. Sam Adams Brewery have similarly pulled their sponsorship from the Boston parade. St. Patrick's Day parades are going off all over the world and making a big deal of their inclusiveness, their refusal of homophobia. As...

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Press release: LGBTQ & Policing Groups To Protest NYPD @ NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade

PRESS RELEASE – For immediate release Contact: Emmaia Gelman (917) 517-3627 Date: March 14, 2014 LGBTQ Groups & Policing Groups Will Protest NYPD Contingents in Discriminatory St. Patrick’s Day Parade Parade Committee claims “private, religious” exemption from NYC anti-discrimination ruling -- but City agencies don’t have “free speech right” to bypass anti-bias rules. Pre-protest press conference: Monday 3/17, 10:30am (30 mins before parade). Between 56th & 57th Sts, west side of Fifth Ave. New York – LGBTQ groups and allies...

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Bigots heart bigots: PSNI join the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade.

The notoriously bigoted Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) are traveling to march in the notoriously bigoted NYC St. Patrick's Day parade this year. (They're marching with the Gardaí! It's all very enlightened.) Apparently their love of militarism and their right-wing zealotry are enough to unite them across the once-bitter divide of religion and nation. Mazel tov, they deserve each other. It's telling to watch the NY Irish community's outrage boil up now. Some people see this is just an extension of the bigotry that Irish queer groups...

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