For the first time in Boston’s history, organizers of South Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade said they wold invite the LGBT group, MassEquality, to walk in their parade. The deal is being brokered by incoming Mayor Marty Walsh, but it includes an important caveat: MassEquality, cannot wear T-shirts or hold signs that include the word gay or refer to sexual orientation. My reaction to the deal, “Are you kidding me? Is this 1994?“
The time for keeping quiet has passed.
This would have been an interesting offer back in 1994 when then incoming Mayor Tom Menino was speaking as an advocate (for the first time) for the LGBT community, but the times have changed. Parade organizers steadfast refusal and isolation of the LGBT community casts an ugly shadow on their event and this latest ‘offer’ does little to improve their image or that of their Irish heritage.
MassEquality issued their response shortly after the Boston Globe published the story, which you can read here, but I think is summed up in this quote from their response, “LGBT people should not have to silence who they are to celebrate other parts of their identities.“
What do you think?
BosGuy 
This is a great first step. By next year, there will be gay marchers with signs and banners. No doubt.
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I’m happy about the conditions, but hey. its a start, and maybe next year the word “gay” might be in the parade. I know its in Webster.
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The offer is an insult. It really is not an offer at all.
Nice try Mayor Walsh – but Marty has marched for years – so how much does he really care about Equality????
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i don’t know Ed I would like to be able to walk in the parade as both being Irish and Gay whats wrong with wearing a shirt that says I am Irish and I am Gay and proud to be both. .
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I guess my feeling on this matter is this: This is an Irish Pride Parade NOT a Gay Pride Parade. We ALREADY have our own parade very June. The organizers want to keep this parade family friendly. After seeing some of the floats at Gay Pride in all honesty do you blame them?? Put a float in this parade that speaks to Irish Pride NOT Gay Pride…this fight to me is a non-fight. We’re getting ourselves upset over nothing. St Patrick’s Day has ZERO to do with Sexual Orientation.
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