Staten Island to Hold First Inclusive St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday

Photo byStavrialena GontzouonUnsplash

New York's mayor, Eric Adams, who had boycotted previous St. Patrick's Day parades due to their exclusion of LGBTQ+ groups, announced that Staten Island will hold a second inclusive parade this year. The ban on LGBTQ+ groups was lifted in 2014 for the Manhattan parade, but Staten Island parade organizers held firm that these groups should not be part of an event celebrating a Catholic saint.

Larry Cummings, the main organizer of the Staten Island parade, has previously commented on the exclusion.“Our parade is for Irish heritage and culture,” Mr. Cummings told The Irish Voice, a newspaper in New York City, in 2018. “It is not a political or sexual identification parade.”

Kayla Mamelak, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said the Adams administration believed that “celebrations in our city should be welcoming and inclusive.” She added, “Everyone interested — regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, race or beliefs — will be welcome to march together."

Information on the Sunday, March 17th Parade

The parade begins at noon starting at the intersection of Hart Boulevard and Forest Avenue. It will then head west toward Broadway.

Duration

The parade is expected to last about three hours.

Road Closures

Forest Avenue between Broadway and Clove Road

Forest Avenue between Hart Boulevard and Randall Avenue

Forest Avenue between Hart Boulevard and Broadway

(Source: NYC DOT)