NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The Staten Island Scholarship pageant announced it will not march in the Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade this year after the organizers refused to allow LGBTQ+ groups to take part.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade organizers again refused to allow the Pride Center of Staten Island and Gay Officers Action League to join the procession on March 5.
The Pride Center has been rejected every year since the organization started applying in 2018.
A group of more than a dozen LGBTQ+ supporters wearing pride pins went to Blessed Sacrament Church on Sunday to submit the application.
Parade Committee organizer Larry Cummings shoved a freelance photographer for SILive at the meeting and refused to let the head of the Pride Center inside.
“You represent a homosexual organization, get out,“ he reportedly said.
“The Miss Staten Island/Miss Richmond County Scholarship Organization will not be participating in the Forest Avenue St. Patrick’s Parade unless it changes its policy of exclusion of the LGBTQ from marching in the parade,” Carmine DeBetta, executive director of the Miss Staten Island/Miss Richmond County Scholarship Organization, told SILive.
“We are an organization of inclusion and acceptance. We will instead be participating in the Rainbow Run that morning to show support of LGBTQ+ [groups] and the Staten Island Community,” he continued.
The four Scholarship Pageant titleholders also said they intend to skip the parade in protest of its anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
Community Board 1 denounced the parade organizers and called on the city to withhold funds until the event allows LGTBQ+ groups to participate.
The mayor's office called the practice "discriminatory," and said Adams will not participate in the parade until organizers reverse their policies regarding LGBTQ+ participation.
“This administration continues to fight alongside the LGBTQ+ community and is continuing that practice by serving all New Yorkers equally and fairly," said a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams' office. "Our office is reviewing how we can encourage greater inclusion in all our publicly permitted events and we remain hopeful that the organizers will allow members of the LGBTQ+ community to participate.”
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