Crowds line Staten Island streets for LGBTQ-inclusive St. Patrick's Day parade
NEW YORK -- St. Patrick's Day looked more colorful and more inclusive on Staten Island on Sunday, as the borough marked its first LGBTQ-friendly parade.
The original Staten Island parade, held on March 3 of this year, denies LGBTQ participants from marching under their banner.
"I'm a New Yorker and I'm gay and I'm proud to be here today," said Brendan Fay, of the Irish Lavender and Green Alliance.
Fay said Sunday will go down in history.
"We celebrate that welcome. It sends a beautiful message to young gay lesbian, bisexual youth that you belong," Fay said.
Fay joined thousands of people in the LGBTQ community and its supporters marching in the first LGBTQ-friendly St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island.
"For the first time on Staten Island, I couldn't be more proud and grateful, and for the support of the mayor -- to feel the love and unity here," said Carol Bullock, the executive director of Pride Center of Staten Island. "It's going to be unbelievable. I can't wait to grab my banner. I'm so excited."
For years, Staten Island parade organizers denied applications from groups like the Pride Center of Staten Island and the Gay Officers Action League hoping to participate in the iconic parade.
This year, though, Mayor Eric Adams authorized a second, LGBTQ-friendly St. Patrick's Day Parade on Staten Island and marched along the route in solidarity.
"We are breaking stereotypes on Staten Island, marching for the first time that the organizers have asked for. We did make it happen," Adams said.
K.C. Hankins was one of the original voices advocating for inclusivity.
"When we started the protest, it was eight of us marching down the route in a rainbow formation before the parade. People heckled us and now we've chipped away slowly and won over hearts to show people we belong in this parade and in every event on Staten Island," Hankins said.
But the mayor's decision wasn't without controversy. Catholic League President Bill Donohue said, in part, "New York City Mayor Eric Adams has authorized a St. Patrick's Day parade in Staten Island, one whose express purpose is to compete with, and undermine, a traditional St. Patrick's Day parade that honors the patron saint of the Archdiocese of New York. His aggression smacks of bigotry and is arguably illegal."
However, those in attendance said they won't let detractors take away from the beauty of the moment for their community, and for decades of LGBTQ members to come.
"We're seeing hundreds of organizations come march. To go from transition to not being welcome to now being welcome, just incredible," Hankins said.
Manhattan lifted its ban on LGBTQ groups joining its parade in 2014, but Staten Island still has not.
