Today In Queens: LGBT-Inclusive St. Patrick's Day Parade

It's a beautiful clear morning in NYC and later I'll be taking my 3/8ths Irish self to the LGBT-inclusive St. Patrick's Day Parade in Queens. You can join Marriage Equality New York and Western Queens for Marriage Equality on the corner of 43rd Street and Skillman Avenue at 12:30pm for the parade. Subway directions here. DADT activist/hero Lt. Dan Choi emailed last night to note his attendance.

As you may know, gays are banned from taking part in Manhattan's St. Patrick's Day Parade by order of the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1995 ruled that the world's largest such parade, which travels down public streets and is protected by the NYPD and NYFD at public cost, is a private event. Manhattan's parade is "owned" by the Catholic group, the Ancient Order of the Hibernians. The parade in Queens was created by Irish gay activist Brendan Fay specifically as an "all are welcome" event.