De Blasio BOYCOTTING THE St PATRICK DAYS PARADE

The Catholic League has announced De Blasio is boycotting this years St. Patrick days Parade because marchers wont be allowed to display Pro-Gay signs

Why aren't participants allowed to display pro-gay signs?

Cause The Catholic League most likely.

If he's really a man of principles, he'll be boycotting a whole lot of other parades and festivals then. But this is more political than principled.

What other festivals and parades actively discriminate against homosexuals?

Bigots don't deserve recognition. Well done Mayor Bill.

Just to play Devil's Advocate because I think it's good for debate...do you think the GLAAD parade would let marchers who carried signs stating they're hetero in the parade?

The West Indian parade organizers allow participating groups to demonstrate their identity in lots of ways (where one works, the country of origin, political party, etc), but I don't think I have ever seen a GLBTQ group or heard of one being denied participation.There are certainly folks from the West Indies who are GLBTQ. I suspect the GLBTQ folks want to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade in large part because they know that the organizers don't want them.

In my comment, wasn't insinuating other groups/parades bar LGBT groups specifically, but likely quash other groups who maybe arent as vocal as the LGBT group is. I dont know what the law is, but apparently an organizer can prevent free speech even though its using city property/resources, as is the case here. Maybe that's their right, and it keeps every parade from becoming a shitshow of opposing viewpoints intentionally trying to get in (Tibetans/Taiwanese in Chinese parade, palestinians in Israel Day parade, etc).But maybe he can also make a public boycott statement about the Puerto Rican Day parade, with its well documented misogyny and violence.

I suspect that boycotting the Puerto Rican day parade would have substantial political repercussions to DeBlasio; he would alienate supporters.Whereas boycotting the St Patrick's Day parade may simply annoy people who ALREADY dislike him.

Remembering from the past.. The group that was prevented from marching was ILGO (THE iRISH lesbian and gay organization?) who presumably are Irish and deserve a place at the table. And yes the Pride Parade allows straight marchers - witness the Pflag (Parents, Friends of lesbians and gays?) group. Nobody is asking for a group that isn't Irish to march. Here is the NYT article : http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/nyregion/de-blasio-to-skip-st-patricks-day-parade-cites-exclusion-of-gay-groups.html

Lot's of non-Irish groups march.