Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, has announced that he will not be marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade due to the exclusion of LGBT peoples.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade held in Manhattan is known as the largest in the nation and has banned positive signs and banners of LGBT expression since the 1990’s.
According to the LGBT News, Mayor de Blasio will be the first mayor in twenty years not to participate in the famous march down fifth avenue.
De Blasio’s two most recent predecessors, former mayors Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani, walked in every St. Patrick’s Day Parade during their time as mayor. The only other known mayor of New York not to walk in the famed parade was David Dinkins in 1993, following protests that could not be ignored after sponsors won a court battle to exclude a group of openly gay Irish-Americans from taking part in the parade, according to The New York Times.
Before becoming mayor, de Blasio stated he would not participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade if were to become an elected official and he is keeping with his promise.
Mayor de Blasio will be participating in several other events to celebrate the Irish heritage of the city.
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