Maman Poulet

Some people are more Irish than others...

The Chairman of the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade, John Dunleavy, has outdone his predecessors in the bigotry stakes.  

In an interview with the Irish Voice quoted in the New York Times and elsewhere he said;

"If an Israeli group wants to march in New York, would you allow neo-nazis? If African Americans are marching in Harlem do they have to let the Klu Klux Klan in? If we let the ILGO -- the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization -- in, is the Irish Prostitutes Association next?"

He claims that advocacy and political groups are not allowed march. So how come NORAID are marching Mr. Duleavy?  Again irish queers are told they are not really Irish.

Christine Quinn the speaker of New York City Council who is also a lesbian is not marching.

Anne Maguire has recently published her account of the campaign by Irish lesbians and gay men to March in the parade in New York. Rocking the Sham! is available in Anthology Books in Temple Bar.  It defines a period in Irish Lesbian and Gay History that seems not to have concluded!  

I was involved in organising the lesbian and gay floats  in the Dublin parade 10 years ago.  We entered twice and that was it, seen it done it and no problem. But sure Dublin is not really in Ireland is it?

posted by Maman Poulet @ 3/17/2006 05:36:00 p.m.