9/30/10

Irish Voice on IQ's bid to keep NYPD out of anti-gay parade, and McAleese refusal to join the bigots

"The news that President McAleese declined the invitation to lead the 250th St. Patrick’s Day parade has sparked a new level of controversy that should lead to a new dialogue. This is very good news for the Irish community in New York. We need to talk to one another about this issue that has divided and embarrassed us for too long now"...Read the whole thing here. The letters page in the print edition is also an interesting read. No one there questions whether the parade is a display of anti-gay bigotry -- just whether that's a good thing or a...

9/22/10

Mary McAleese says nope to Grand Marshal invite

Irish President Mary McAleese turned down an invite to be the Grand Marshal of the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade. Irish Central, the Irish Voice's website, says it's because of the parade's explicit anti-gay stance. The comments are a good read...

IQ asks NYPD to stop marching in anti-gay parade

PRESS RELEASE - For immediate release Date: September 22, 2010 NYC’s anti-gay St. Pat’s Parade takes another hit: As Irish President McAleese refuses to lead parade, Irish-American LGBT groups asks NYPD’s Kelly to stop uniformed cops from marching. New York – The NYC group Irish Queers today asked NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly to pull uniformed police officers from the anti-gay St. Patrick’s Day parade. In a letter to the Commissioner, the group charges that police participation is an endorsement of homophobia and a violation of LGBT communities’...

8/16/10

South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association Marched in India Day Parade

For the first time in 10 years, the South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association (SALGA) marched in the India Day Parade. Congrats to SALGA!For a full article and video, check out the NY1 story he...

4/9/10

Colin Farrell is standing up against homophobia...and so should you!

BeLonG To is a national organisation in Ireland for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) young people, aged between 14 and 23. This press release about their STAND UP! Campaign against homophobic bullying was taken from their website.April 8, 2010Speaking from Los Angeles actor Colin Farrell has issued a statement in support of BeLonG To Youth Service’s STAND UP! Campaign against homophobic bullying of gay young people.Colin recalls is memories of how his gay brother Eamon was terribly treated when they were young and growing up in...

3/22/10

Some pictures from our protest....

All photos taken by Garry Rissm...

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 MARCHINGNew 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...

3/16/10

Dublin Pride reprehends New York City's Patrick's Day parade organisers

16/03/2010Dublin 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...

$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,...

3/15/10

2010 St. Patrick's Day Protest Press Advisory

Date: March 15, 2010Contact: Emmaia Gelman 917-517-3627IRISH 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...

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 organize...

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-ma...

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 ...

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...

2/23/10

To cut costs, city wants parades reduced by 25%......after St. Patrick's Day

This NY Times article says it all, especially the last paragra...

LGBTQ Contingent in the Lunar New Year Parade

For the first time ever, an LGBTQ contingent marched in the Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown. Very exciting! Congrats to the everyone that marched, and an extra-special congrats to the organizing team, Lunar New Year For All.To read the NY Daily News article and watch the video footage, click here.Please take the poll featured next to the article about Irish/Irish American LGBTQ people marching in the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade. (Although it is annoying that NY Daily News is turning this historic moment for Asian/Asian American LGBTQ folks...