STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- “It’s not over,” said Carol Bullock, executive director of the Pride Center of Staten Island, referring to the local LGBTQ+ community’s fight to be included in the borough’s St. Patrick’s Parade.
Last month, the parade committee denied applications to march in this year’s St. Patrick’s event -- held on March 6 -- submitted by three local LGBTQ+ groups: the Pride Center of Staten Island, Gay Officers Action League (GOAL) New York and FDNY FireFlag/EMS. When the groups asked for an explanation from committee head, Larry Cummings, he said the organizers don’t “promote sexual lifestyles in the parade.”
Staten’s Island’s yearly celebration of Irish heritage has gained national attention as one of the few -- possibly the only -- events to mark St. Patrick’s Day that continues to be exclusionary of LGBTQ+ groups. In 2020, a host of participants were banned from marching -- including Councilman Joseph Borelli (R-South Shore) -- for showing a display of LBGTQ+ pride in the form of rainbow flags, pins, clothing or signs.
The New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade in Manhattan meanwhile ended a two-decade ban in 2014, while parades in Boston and Dublin have done the same.
And a week after the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Parade banned LGBTQ+ groups from marching again, a Bronx-based parade allowed the Lavender and Green Alliance to march for the first time.
But the Pride Center of Staten Island is not going to take it anymore, said Bullock. Kicked off by a press conference on the day of the parade this year, the Pride Center plans to continue to push for inclusivity for the borough’s 2023 parade.
“Quite frankly, I want to have some more citywide officials, like Comptroller Brad Lander [who supports the Pride Center’s fight], looking into city funding and resources that are allocated to the parade because I’m a taxpayer. I live 2-feet from Forest Avenue and I can’t even march. ...It’s not over,” said Bullock referring to Lander’s show of support at a Pride Center press conference earlier this month.
“Public tax dollars are supporting schools, and police and fire departments to march in the parade. And, basically, the parade is endorsing a religion, right? So from my perspective, no publicly-funded school, police, fire department, or any other [public] entity should be permitted to participate in the parade,” she added.
Lander said he will work with the Pride Center to “demand change.”
“Our city takes pride in celebrating the rich culture, heritage and contributions of our communities and opens its streets for those celebrations,” said Lander to the Advance/SILive.com. “LGBTQ Staten Islanders who love their Irish heritage want to show it by marching in the St. Pat’s parade and they have every right to do so. I recently marched with the Pride Center of Staten Island to denounce the LGBTQ community exclusion from the parade and to demand change. There’s no lane for discrimination in our public streets and celebrations.”
NOT LOOKING TO ‘END THE PARADE’
Bullock said the Pride Center doesn’t want to end the parade; they just want to be included.
“Our goal is to be able to march and celebrate with everyone else. I do not want to hurt the businesses on Forest Avenue. Some of my friends own restaurants there, and it’s a big day for those businesses,” said Bullock.
Larry Cummings, head of the parade committee, didn’t respond to a request for comment by the Advance/SILive.com.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander speaks in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at a press conference held Sunday on Forest Avenue by the Pride Center of Staten Island and Rainbow Run.
CAN LEGAL ACTION BE TAKEN?
In the past, Bullock said she has investigated if legal action could be taken against the parade committee, and was told she had “no legal grounds.” However, she may have a leg to stand on this year due to an anti-abortion message on a banner that was carried along Forest Avenue during the parade, said Bullock.
The application itself says: “THIS PARADE IS NOT TO BE USED FOR AND WILL NOT ALLOW POLITICAL OR SEXUAL IDENTIFICATION AGENDAS TO BE PROMOTED. THE PARADE IS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF ST. PATRICK AND OF IRISH HERITAGE.”
It also stated the parade committee would allow a group to march only if it “does not stand, in any way, in opposition to, or contradict, the Teachings and Tenets of the Catholic Church.”
Despite its call for non-political agendas, the anti-abortion message was showcased in this year’s parade.
Of this, Bullock said, “You could hear a pin drop when they marched by holding that banner. All my friends looked at me. ...It’s absolutely a political statement, and I’m not sure why that’s OK.”
Pride Center of Staten Island members attend the Staten Island St. Patrick's Parade. March 1, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel)
COMMENDING YOUTH FOR STANDING UP FOR LGBTQ+ RIGHTS
Bullock commended all the public high schools, and Monsignor Farrell bands for refusing to march in this year’s parade.
“Quite frankly, again, public schools pulling out and Farrell pulling out, was just amazing. I can’t thank those schools enough because that was a statement that our youth understand that someone right next to them may be member of the LGBTQ+ community, they may be out or maybe not. So they’re showing they really support their peers,” she said.
In addition to high schools bands refusing to march in this year’s parade, there was a sparse showing of politicians and dignitaries at the event.
In addition to Mayor Eric Adams, most local elected officials -- except Borough President Vito Fossella and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) -- refused to march in this year’s parade.
Also, Tatiana Santos Mroczek, Miss Staten Island 2022, told the Advance/SILive.com she was sorely disappointed the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Committee banned members of the LGBTQ+ community. For this reason, Santos Mroczek didn’t participate in the parade. Her sister, Angelica Mroczek, Miss Staten Island’s Outstanding Teen 2020, refused to march in 2019′s parade for the same reason.
RELATED COVERAGE:
Barred from the Staten Island parade LGBTQ community celebrates Irish heritage at PRIDE Center
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Staten Island pageant ‘supports inclusion,’ won’t participate in borough’s St. Patrick’s Day parade
LGBTQ groups barred again from openly marching in Staten Island St. Patrick’s Parade
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