St. Pat's for All

Participant in St. Pat's for All parade

The St. Pat's for All Parade is an annual event that honors Irish culture and promotes inclusivity. It was established on March 5, 2000, and takes place in the Sunnyside and Woodside neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, which traditionally have been home to Irish New Yorkers. The parade was initiated by Brendan Fay, a gay Irish immigrant, in response to the exclusion of LGBTQ+ groups like the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization from the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade in Manhattan. Fay's objective is to celebrate the diversity of New York City, guided by the motto "Cherishing All the Children of the Nation Equally," which originates from the Proclamation of the Irish Republic during the Easter Rising of 1916. The most recent parade occurred on March 5, 2023.

Socio-historical context

Irish immigration to the United States continued well after the Great Famine of 1845. This migration included people of LGBTQ identity.  It also included members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an Irish Catholic fraternal organization which began to organize the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City in 1843. In 1983, the Supreme Court of Ireland ruled that the laws criminalizing homosexuality served two purposes: the protection of public health and the protection of “the sanctity of marriage.” In 1988, the very same court ruled that the laws violated the European Convention on Human Rights.

The rulings in Ireland prompted many gays and lesbians to move to the United States. For example, Brendan Fay migrated from Drogheda to Queens in 1984. Fay studied theology at St. John’s University and became a religious studies teacher at Mary Louis Academy in Queens. In 1988, he helped organize the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO). ILGO was established following Fay’s call for an Irish gay and lesbian group at an event at the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop.  In 1994, Fay founded the Lavender and Green Alliance. Robert Rygor, the first openly gay candidate for the New York State Legislature, in 1978, also fought alongside Brendan Fay for the inclusion of gays and lesbians in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

The organizers for the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade had a series of bans on specific individuals and groups for decades. It was well documented in the 1960s that parade organizers banned individuals due to their “behavior” and political stances. Cardinal John O’Connor, a member of the Ancient Order, supported the ban of ILGO in 1991.

In 1990, the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO) sought permission to participate in the 1991 St. Patrick's Day Parade with a pride banner. Their request was denied by the parade organizers, the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), which cited time constraints and a long waitlist of 40 groups, including ILGO. Despite Mayor David Dinkins offering to extend the parade to accommodate all groups, AOH postponed ILGO's application, arguing that priority should be given to earlier applicants. AOH also stated that only signs identifying a group's country, city, or fraternity were permitted in the parade, as they aimed to uphold Irish identity and tradition in New York City. Mayor Dinkins, influenced by LGBTQ+ activists, attempted to find a compromise with AOH. Eventually, an agreement was reached: ILGO would march alongside the Midtown Manhattan Chapter of AOH, but without displaying a banner or openly expressing their sexual orientation.

During the parade, members of the crowd heckled and threw beer cans at ILGO. Dinkins compared the experience to marching in Selma, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement. AOH attributed the disruptive behavior of the public to ILGO's presence in the parade, and officially banned ILGO from future parades. In an act of protest, Dinkins boycotted the St. Patrick's Day Parade in 1992, breaking a tradition of mayors attending the parade since 1923. In 1993, AOH achieved a legal victory that permitted it to ban gay groups from marching in the parade, which the AOH celebrated as upholding Catholic values. LGBTQ activists opposed the St. Patrick's Day parade, leading to 228 arrests for civil disobedience at the 1993 parade. Facing lawsuits and political pressure, the AOH transferred control to a new committee. This committee was independent from the Hibernians and was led by John T. Dunleavy, a former New York City transit dispatcher. Dunleavy upheld the ban, seeing the parade as a religious observance. Over time, ILGO members made it "their yearly St. Patrick’s Day ritual" to protest their exclusion before the parade began by "chanting ‘We’re here, we’re queer, we’ll be here every year!’...before being arrested and taken into custody".

In addition to protesting the parade’s exclusion of gay and lesbian organizations, ILGO threatened to engage in civil disobedience as a response to permit rejection. In 1993, City Councilmember Thomas Duane was arrested for participating in the protest. In 1999, ILGO also protested the Bronx St. Patrick’s Day Parade’s exclusion of the Lavender and Green Alliance which resulted in the arrest of Duane, now a State Senator, and his successor in the City Council, Christine Quinn, among other activists.

Brendan Fay and Turloch McNallis are arrested for protesting the exclusion of gays in the New York City St. Patrick's parade

Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston

In 1995, the US Supreme Court reached a unanimous decision in the case of Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston, which closely paralleled the situation faced by ILGO in their pursuit to participate in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. The court's ruling dealt a significant blow to ILGO by affirming the constitutional right of parade organizers to exclude gay marchers. The decision upheld the organizers' freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment, with Justice David Souter emphasizing that parades should be regarded as a form of expression rather than mere movement. Consequently, the parade organizers retained the authority to exclude individuals or groups as they saw fit. Undeterred by the legal setback, ILGO persevered in their endeavors to be included in the parade. The New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade became a significant platform for political figures such as Michael Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary Clinton to gain or lose support from various communities, as they strategically leveraged their positions concerning the parade to connect with their constituencies and forge political alliances.

In 2006, in an attempt to address the longstanding conflict that had endured since 1990, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, an Irish American and the first openly gay leader of the New York City Council, initiated discussions with AOH to seek a resolution. Her proposal involved allowing LGBT organizations to participate in the parade, on the condition that they wore sashes or pins displaying their affiliations rather than carrying explicit self-identifying banners. Finally, in 2016, the St. Patrick's Day Parade embraced the inclusion of the Lavender and Green Alliance, led by Brendan Fay, allowing them to proudly march with their banner—an important milestone in the parade's history.

Foundation of St. Pat’s For All

Unidentified participants prepare to march in the first St. Pat's for All parade

In 2000, Brendan Fay founded St. Pat's for All, an all-inclusive alternative to the St. Patrick's Day Parade. Alongside Ellen Duncan from the Ethical Culture Society of Queens, he served as a co-chair for the event held on Sunday, March 5. The parade was organized by individuals of Irish descent, both gay and straight, including Daniel Dromm, the founder of the Queens Pride Parade. St. Pat's For All's main objective was to honor and embrace the diverse population of New York City, by embodying the motto "Cherishing All the Children of the Nation Equally," which originates from the proclamation of the Irish Republic during the Easter Rising of 1916. While it stood as the city's sole St. Patrick's parade welcoming the participation of LGBT individuals, St. Pat's For All aimed to transcend categorizations as solely a gay pride parade or an Irish parade, embracing the fusion of both and providing a platform for individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, to come together and celebrate Irish culture. St. Pat's for All welcomed individuals from diverse ethnicities and cultures, creating a platform for a vibrant and multicultural celebration. Chief Dark Cloud of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma performed a shamanic ritual to bless the parade, acknowledging Native-Irish ties and tribal aid donations during the Great Famine of Ireland.

The parade route traversed two historically Irish neighborhoods, stretching along Skillman Avenue from 43rd Street in Sunnyside to 58th Street in Woodside. The parade's location in Woodside was specifically selected for its significant number of foreign-born residents, surpassing the city's average. During the inaugural parade, a moment of silence was observed in honor of Robert Rygor, who had advocated against the exclusion of gay individuals from the 5th Avenue parade until his passing from health complications related to AIDS in 1994. Among the marchers were representatives from the Korean and Chilean communities, ILGO, Lavender and Green, Queens Lesbian and Gay Pride Committee, SAGE, Dignity/New York, Queens Gays & Lesbians United, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, PFLAG's Queens chapter, Irish Arts Center, Emerald Isle Immigration Center, the Sunnyside Drum Corps, Father Mychal F. Judge of St. Francis of Assisi Church in Manhattan, and then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose presence created "massive publicity" for the parade.

Ms. Colombia at St. Pat's for All parade 2013

In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center, the 2002 St. Pat's was dedicated to the memory of Father Judge, who became the first recorded fatality of 9/11. Among the participants in that year's parade was the newly elected Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg. Other notable elected officials who have marched at the parade include Mayor Bill de Blasio and Senator Thomas Duane.

Over the years, St. Pat's For All has consistently gained momentum, drawing crowds from the local Queens community as it continues to welcome a diverse range of groups celebrating their Irish connections.

The Mexican community paid tribute to the San Patricio Battalion, an Irish regiment that fought for Mexico during the Mexican-American War. The Ecuadorian community honored Thomas Charles Wright, an Irish-born founder of the Ecuadorian navy. Similarly, the Argentinean community marched in honor of William Brown, an Irish-born national hero who served as Commander-in-Chief of the Argentinean Navy. The African American community joined under the NAACP banner, acknowledging the strong ties between Frederick Douglass and Irish activists such as Daniel O'Connell during the nineteenth century. Labor organizations have participated to honor Mother Jones, the Irish-born American labor campaigner. One notable group, the "Keltic Dreamers," comprises local African-American and Latino children who showcase their love for Irish music and dance, embodying the parade's theme and spirit.

Coronavirus and the Parade

In March 2021, the Parade went virtual for the first time in history due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. New York City Councilman Daniel Dromm and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made guest appearances. The parade returned in March 2023 to signify the end of the pandemic. New York State Senator Michael Gianaris, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Councilwoman Julie Won, Councilwoman Tiffany Caban, Public Advocate Letita James, and other Queens representatives made appearances. A Brazilian female Reggae Samba Drumline band called Fogo Azul is slated to make a return. Fogo Azul NYC is a part of a Latin American and African-Brazilian musical band network called Batala NYC.

Irish Government Response

In 2010, Irish President Mary McAleese was invited to participate in the NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade. However, she declined citing scheduling difficulties. Yet, commentator Niall O’Dowd said that her decline was due to the parade’s stance against inclusion of LGBTQ groups. That same year, the Civil Relationships Act of 2010 was signed into law by President McAleese. Joan Burton MD also declined attending the parade when Mayor DeBlasio did in 2014. Taoiseach Enda Kenny instead marched in the parade. With Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, gay organizations encouraged government ministers to march in the main New York parade.

Timeline

As adopted from historian Stephen Petrus, the following timeline presents several key events involving the parade:

1990 - New York’s Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO), consisting of 135 members, asks to march in the 1991 St. Patrick’s Day Parade under their own banner.  The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), the organizers of the parade, deny their request citing unfairness to early applicants.

1991 - Pressured by LGBTQ activists to negotiate for ILGO’s inclusion, Mayor David Dinkins enters into conversations with the AOH.  The Hibernians note that the parade’s rule that only signs identifying a group’s country, city, or fraternal organization, or placards that read “England Get Out of Ireland,” are permitted. The AOH agreed for the ILGO’s participation, which led to unruly behavior by spectators. Following legal disputes, ILGO is officially banned from the parade by the AOH, sparking protests by LGBTQ groups and their allies.  The New York City Human Rights Commission recommends that the AOH be prosecuted for bias-related crimes.

1992 - Mayor Dinkins, City Councilman Thomas Duane, and some 20 other elected officials boycott the St. Patrick’s Day Parade due to the ban on LGBTQ groups.

1993 - The legal standoff continues. The AOH argues that the event is essentially a private religious celebration and that allowing LGBTQ groups to march contradicts the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church that homosexuality is a sin.  ILGO maintains that the parade is a secular public event and that the city’s Human Rights Law prohibits the exclusion of groups based on the sexual orientation of their members.  A federal judge ruled that the city’s Human Rights Commission’s mandate that the ILGO’s inclusion in the parade is “patently unconstitutional.” Mayor Dinkins, again, boycotts the parade.

1994 - The recently elected Mayor Rudolph Giuliani marches, though 31 elected officials boycott the event, and 102 people are arrested protesting the ban of LGBTQ groups.

1995 - In Hurley v Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston, the Supreme Court rules that the privately sponsored St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Boston has a constitutional right to exclude gay marchers. The opinion, written by Justice David Souter, is unanimous.  It effectively upholds New York’s federal court decision in 1993 to bar LGBTQ groups from the parade.

1997 - During the mayoral election campaign, the parade became highly politicized.  Running for re-election, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani marches in the event and leads four groups – the police, the firefighters, the sanitation workers, and his Manhattan College alumni – while his Democratic rivals Manhattan Borough President Ruth Messinger, Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, and Reverend Al Sharpton boycott the event in solidarity with LGBTQ groups.  Sharpton protests with ILGO by the start of the parade at the New York Public Library on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue.  Police arrest 35 protesters.

1999 - At the Bronx’s first St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 70 years, State Senator Thomas Duane, City Council Member Christine Quinn, and Brendan Fay, founder of the Lavender and Green Alliance, are arrested for protesting the event’s ban of LGBTQ groups.  Fay also gets arrested at the Brooklyn St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

2000 - The Manhattan parade becomes, in effect, a political campaign event again, as Senate candidates Rudolph Giuliani and Hilary Clinton march.  The inaugural St. Pat’s for All Parade takes place in Woodside and Sunnyside, Queens, organized by Brendan Fay.

2001 - U.S. Senators from New York Hilary Clinton and Charles Schumer march in the inclusive Syracuse St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  “I think parades that honor Irish heritage and culture and bring people together should be inclusionary, not exclusionary,” remarks Clinton. Of the four Democratic candidates for mayor, only City Council Speaker Peter Vallone marches in the parade.  Public Advocate Mark Green, Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, and City Comptroller Alan Hevesi all skip the event.  Three demonstrators from the group Irish Queers are arrested.

2002 - Mayor Michael Bloomberg invites ILGO members to breakfast at Gracie Mansion before the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  He then marches in the parade to honor the hundreds of Irish-Americans who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11.  ILGO organizes a “sidelines protest,” holding placards honoring the LGBT “heroes of Sept. 11.”  An estimated 300,000 people march in the parade, and 3,000,000 spectators line up along Fifth Avenue, breaking participation and attendance records.

2003 - Mayor Bloomberg marches in both the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and St. Pat’s for All in Queens.

2006 - City Council Speaker Christine Quinn boycotts the parade, as the event’s organizers deny her request to wear a pride pin or sash.

2010 - Ireland’s President Mary McAleese declines an invitation to serve as grand marshal of New York’s 250th St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  The ban on LGBTQ groups is widely believed to be the reason for the president’s decision.  McAleese, a devout Catholic, is also a supporter of Irish LGBTQ causes.

2014 - Mayor Bill de Blasio becomes the first mayor to boycott the St. Patrick’s Day Parade since David Dinkins in 1993. Speaker of the New York City Council Melissa Mark-Viverito announces that the City Council will not officially participate in the parade on any level. Guinness USA withdraws its sponsorship of the parade due to the ban of LGBTQ groups following Heineken USA after a public challenge by The Stonewall Inn.

2015 - Out@NBCUniversal marches in the parade.  The group consists of about 100 employees from NBCUniversal, which televises the parade.  Critics are not satisfied, arguing the parade is still not inclusive.  Mayor de Blasio boycotts the event and instead marches in St. Pat’s for All.

2016 - The Lavender and Green Alliance, headed by Brendan Fay, is allowed to march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.  Fay credits Mayor de Blasio for boycotting the event in previous years and pressuring parade organizers.  LGBTQ groups celebrate the inclusive parade.