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NY mayor won't march in St. Patrick's parade


Michelle

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Mayor Bill de Blasio will not be marching in the St. Patrick's Day parade, deciding to skip one of his city's signature celebrations because the event organizers refuse to let participants carry pro-gay signs.

De Blasio will become the first mayor in decades to sit out the traditional march along Fifth Avenue.

"I will be participating in a number of other events to honor the Irish heritage of this city," said de Blasio on Tuesday during an unrelated press conference at City Hall. "But I simply disagree with the organizers of that parade."

The parade, a tradition that predates the city itself, draws more than 1 million people each March 17 to line one of Manhattan's most famous thoroughfares to watch about 200,000 participants. It has long been a mandatory stop on the city's political trail, and will include marching bands, traditional Irish dancers and thousands of uniformed city workers.

cont...

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/Mayor-De-Blasio-St-Patricks-Day-Parade-March-243513951.html?akmobile=o

Why do people feel they have a right to insert their own agenda into everything and anything? They didn't say gays couldn't participate...they just can't carry signs.

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Event organizers think they can stop people from carrying signs? LOL

People have a right to insert their own agendas because they have the freedom of expression.

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Event organizers think they can stop people from carrying signs? LOL

People have a right to insert their own agendas because they have the freedom of expression.

You didn't read the article did you? It was talking about people who are participating/marching in the parade...not bystanders.

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You didn't read the article did you? It was talking about people who are participating/marching in the parade...not bystanders.

People. That's who I'm talking about.

If you want to hold some Irish sign in a Gay Pride parade, what gives you the crazy idea you don't have that right?

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Gay people don't usually follow a religion that makes them violently dislike the Irish though.

....as darkly hilarious as that would be.

Allowed or not, I can't imagine feeling safe as a gay man surrounded by a massive crowd of drunken irishmen

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Gay people don't usually follow a religion that makes them violently dislike the Irish though.

....as darkly hilarious as that would be.

Allowed or not, I can't imagine feeling safe as a gay man surrounded by a massive crowd of drunken irishmen

Exercising our rights doesn't generally confer a greater sense of safety. If it's security we want, we won't have many rights left after we get it.

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People. That's who I'm talking about.

If you want to hold some Irish sign in a Gay Pride parade, what gives you the crazy idea you don't have that right?

The gay pride parade is funded, owned and endorsed by an organization. If they didn't want PETA, The Black Panthers or the Catholic Church promoting themselves it is their right.

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Is every other person marching in the event banned from making political statements? If so there's nothing wrong with the move.

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I think that people of Irish descent should be able to carry "pro-gay" signs in the parade to show their support for the queer community, especially considering that the Irish American community (and particularly the Catholic members of the community) is known for homophobia and transphobia. That being said, I think they should stick to signs that pertain to the theme of the parade (celebrating their Irish heritage), along with messages of queer solidarity. For example, a sign could read, "Proud to be Irish AND queer".

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Is every other person marching in the event banned from making political statements? If so there's nothing wrong with the move.

That's right! They aren't singling out gays.

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Exercising our rights doesn't generally confer a greater sense of safety. If it's security we want, we won't have many rights left after we get it.

By that same logic, isn't within the organizer's rights to not allow pro-gay signs if that's in their beliefs?

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I think that people of Irish descent should be able to carry "pro-gay" signs in the parade to show their support for the queer community, especially considering that the Irish American community (and particularly the Catholic members of the community) is known for homophobia and transphobia. That being said, I think they should stick to signs that pertain to the theme of the parade (celebrating their Irish heritage), along with messages of queer solidarity. For example, a sign could read, "Proud to be Irish AND queer".

I don't think you would get that statement "Proud to be Irish and queer", because you may be, but the Irish community, are a "queer" lot and would probably bar you from all Irish clubs,pubs etcetera, so they would,to be sure.Slainte.
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The gay pride parade is funded, owned and endorsed by an organization. If they didn't want PETA, The Black Panthers or the Catholic Church promoting themselves it is their right.

Okay so if I pull out the wrong sign during a march, you support doing what to me exactly?

By that same logic, isn't within the organizer's rights to not allow pro-gay signs if that's in their beliefs?

I'm not the one pushing the "logic" that anyone has any rights that infringe on the rights of anyone else. They have the right to want whatever they want. What you think they have the "right" to do if they don't get what they want, I have no idea.

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As long leprechauns in assless chaps are not in the parade I could care less.

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I'm not the one pushing the "logic" that anyone has any rights that infringe on the rights of anyone else. They have the right to want whatever they want. What you think they have the "right" to do if they don't get what they want, I have no idea.

I'm being realistic. if a group of same minded aggressive people don't get what they want rights dont make all much difference.

are you implying that im claiming gay bashing is a right?

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I'm being realistic. if a group of same minded aggressive people don't get what they want rights dont make all much difference.

are you implying that im claiming gay bashing is a right?

So answer my question realistically. I have no idea how you could think I'm implying that. Not sure how you can think rights don't make all that much difference.

This is basic First Amendment 101; it's not that difficult. If someone has a sign you don't like, have your parade anyway, or don't.

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I guess atheists carrying signs or having floats in a Christmas parade wouldn't be too much to ask then?

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As long leprechauns in assless chaps are not in the parade I could care less.

Don't worry, it's the fairys who wear the assess chaps....

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I guess atheists carrying signs or having floats in a Christmas parade wouldn't be too much to ask then?

It all depends on your answer to my question. What are you going to do to me exactly for carrying the wrong sign? Can Atheists not celebrate Christmas now?

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It all depends on your answer to my question. What are you going to do to me exactly for carrying the wrong sign? Can Atheists not celebrate Christmas now?

Of course they can't. And they can't get married either.

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Gay people don't usually follow a religion that makes them violently dislike the Irish though.

....as darkly hilarious as that would be.

Allowed or not, I can't imagine feeling safe as a gay man surrounded by a massive crowd of drunken irishmen

'tis right you are! Sure'n you'd probably be violated!
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refusal to participate is a legitimate form of expression and protest.

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So answer my question realistically. I have no idea how you could think I'm implying that. Not sure how you can think rights don't make all that much difference.

This is basic First Amendment 101; it's not that difficult. If someone has a sign you don't like, have your parade anyway, or don't.

first amendment says the government cant stop you from talking, this an event organized by a specific group, if they don't want you doing something in the confines of that, then you can be made to leave.

Unless I'm mistaken and the parade is organized by the local government officially

Im saying rights dont really matter when a mob mentality sets in.

you can yell about rights all you want, a mob is still a mob.

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There's a huge big difference in "not being allowed to march" and "not being allowed to carry a sign" in a parade. If the parade promoters have certain rules of conduct everyone has to follow, inculding no obscenity and no sign carrying, then I see nothing wrong with not allowing a group of people marching if they announce their intentions of ignoring those rules. However, if everyone else is allowed to carry a sign stating what group they're representing (as did the Shriners this morning in our St. Pat's parade), and gays are forbidden to do the same, that's a time to protest. Frankly, I haven't seen the same two versions of this story yet and no story has exactly pointed out just why LGBT were not allowed to march, except for the fact that they're gay. Were they acting obscene last year? Were they planning on doing the same thing this year? Or are the parade promoters just trying to feed us the family values crap again, because if they are, I wonder if they have any idea how many gay people are already marching with the bands and other groups in the parade.

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