The Discrimination Parade: My Thoughts

I am loving the kerfuffle over the idea that The Gays want to march in the St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York and Boston, but organizers are saying no; still. I wish the organizers of the parades and the leaders of the LGBT groups that want to march would all just get together, drop trou and see who has the biggest penis and that group wins. Plus, that would make great TV!

St. Patrick’s Day Parade organizers continue to cite some antiquated Supreme Court ruling that says since the parades are private events they can invite, and exclude, whomever they want. That makes me laugh because this private event marches down public streets.

And it makes me laugh when parade organizers don’t want The Gays marching because they’ll think The Gays might co-opt the parade by waving rainbow flags and maybe having Irish go-go boys in bikinis. Huh, brightly colored flags and people in strange costumes? In a parade? Well, I never ….

And just when you think it can’t get more ludicrous, we hear from Catholic League blowhard, Bill Donohue, who announced that he has applied to march in New York City’s Pride parade organizers, asking to participate and to carry a banner saying “Straight is Great.”

This, of course, after he said, just a month ago, in an interview with World Over with Raymond Arroyo, that "If I wanted to get into their gay pride parade with my own float with big banners saying 'straight is great,' they would have a right to feel put-upon and I wouldn't do that to them."

Huh. Bill Donohue lied. Color me surprised? No.

The surprise is saved for Bill Donohue because NYC Pride, the organizers of the parade have responded to his request like this:

“Mr. Donohue and his group are free to participate in the 2014 March. His group’s presence affirms the need for this year’s Pride theme, ‘We Have Won When We’re One.’ Straight is great – as long as there’s no hate.”

Chris Frederick, Managing Director of NYC Pride, added, “Straight allies are great. We have thousands of straight people participating in the Pride March, including Catholic groups, who support LGBT youth, families and married couples.”

Snap. Plus, you know, Gay Catholics are a real thing, I guess, unlike Gay Irish Americans who apparently don’t exist.

Here’s the queer deal, St. Paddy’s Day Parade folks; if you think The Gays are gonna co-opt your parade by waving rainbow flags and wearing boas and playing dance music, did you somehow forget this is a parade? And when you tell Gay Irish Americans that they can march, just not in a group, and with no attention being drawn to the fact that they are gay, you are shaming that community, that sub-set of Irish Americans when, back in the homeland, there is no such discrimination.

Sheesh, it’s a parade and every parade could use all the revelers it can get, and no one, no one revels more than The Gays.

PS I cannot wait to see Bill Donohue marching in a Pride Parade, unless he spontaneously combusts.