Both Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have indicated they will not be attending the upcoming St. Patrick's Day parades over gay groups not being allowed to participate.
Walsh said he had been trying with little success to put together a deal to allow gay military veterans march this year, reports The Associated Press. The mayor said it is "long overdue" to let gays participate.
The organizers have put their foot down against gay groups in the St. Patrick's parade, so Walsh has made it clear he'll be boycotting the parade.
Meanwhile, de Blasio said he wouldn't be attending the parade in Manhattan as the parade won't let groups with sign noting they are gay. According to the Los Angeles Times, de Blasio said, "Equality comes first." He added, "The fact that it's 2014, I certainly hope we're able to come to an understanding."
There's little hope of either caving in and letting gay groups in. Boston's actually has a Supreme Court ruling on its side. Organizer John Hurley won a ruling in 1995 that said the private sponsors for the Boston parade have the constitutional right to let only groups they want into the parade.
image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
