FIPS Broken News: DeBlasio Officially Boycotting St. Patty's Day P-Rade

Pic (sans quote) by Michael Nagle via The New York Times

Our Park Slope Mayor is being ever so Park Slope-ish by telling the organizers of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade to stuff it. The mayor has come out (awful pun intended) saying that he will not march in the St. Patrick's Day parade because it excludes gays and lesbians. According to Gothamist he told reporters:

"I will be participating in a number of other events to honor the Irish heritage of this city and the contributions of Irish-Americans, but I simply disagree with the organizers of that parade in their exclusion of some individuals in this city."

In the wake of some gay advocacy groups calling for a total boycott from all city workers, the Mayor specified that he never marched as Public Advocate, but assured all city officials and public workers that he respected their right to march if they so choose. 

The Catholic League, quick to get behind change of any kind (still no font for sarcasm), basically said to hell with DeBlasio. In his thickest brogue Catholic League President Bill Donohue said on the institution's website that "Personally, I am delighted: I lead the Catholic League contingent every year, and I do not want to march with a public official who does not want to be associated with Irish Catholics."

Also with a penchant for that crazy hellfire hyperbole, Donohue proclaimed that DeBlaz was the first NYC mayor to boycott the parade...ever! Full stop. Exceptin' that, as Gothamist correctly pointed out, Mayor Dinkins did it in 1992 AND Dinkins even marched with a gay group in 1991 where he was heckled by the crowds for over 40 blocks. 

A representative of the NYC St. Patrick's day parade, Hilary Bierne, told the Wall Street Journal, that the parade doesn't exclude gays from marching. They just can't come around with their rainbow flags and their speedos being all gay about it. AKA the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade has now surpassed the United States Armed Forces in having a Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, making it less progressive than the Army (who may soon let you dress down on Fridays). Bierne went onto say that, "There's another parade in New York City that celebrates being gay and being lesbian, and that's the Gay Pride Parade. Our parade is specifically for a celebration of our Irish heritage and our culture."

Should he or shouldn't he march? Personally, I hate parades which always begs the question: "Where's my parade?"