Hillary To Skip St. Patrick's Parade
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, seeking to placate both the city's large Irish-American community and her strong gay and lesbian constituency, announced Friday that she will not march in the city's St. Patrick's Day parade.
She carefully navigated what appeared to be a political middle ground, opting to attend St. Patrick's day events in the city before flying to Syracuse, where she will march in the parade there.
The parade up Fifth Avenue bans homosexuals, and Clinton drew fire from gay and lesbian groups when she marched in the parade as a Senate candidate last year.
"I'm going to be attending events here in the city early in the morning and then I'm going to fly to Syracuse and march in their St. Patrick's Day parade, to which I've been invited, so that I can try to, you know, be in two places basically at one time, and try to demonstrate my support and respect for the great traditions of Irish-Americans," Clinton told reporters in midtown Manhattan.
Asked whether she had decided against the parade this year because of the flap over her participation last year, she said she had already committed to the Syracuse parade.
"I marched last year and I was proud to march last year," she said. "I wish that there were sort of a central clearing house for scheduling St. Patrick's Day parades. There isn't. So I'm going to be going upstate after I spend time down here supporting those who are going to be marching and attending events with them."
New York City Councilwoman Christine Quinn, who is a lesbian and had urged Clinton not to march in the parade, said, "I'm very, very pleased that she's not going to be marching down Fifth Avenue on St. Patrick's Day. I think that her decision to march in upstate parades is a positive decision and a step in the right direction."
State Sen. Tom Duane, who is openly gay and HIV positive, said, "I'm glad she's not marching in the parade and I hope that she will join with other New York elected officials like city Comptroller Alan Hevesi and Sen. Chuck Schumer, and in the future base her decision not to march on the lack of inclusiveness of the Manhattan parade."