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[title]You may have already heard that Mayor Bill de Blasio is boycotting the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Manhattan next month due to the organizers' refusal to allow LGBT groups to openly participate in the event; yesterday, City Council announced it will also officially skip as well. The boycott was announced by Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, who went further than her openly gay predecessor Christine Quinn by stating there will be no official City Council presence at the parade (no banner nor Sergeant-at-Arms present), though individual members are permitted to attend.
RECOMMENDED: See the complete Saint Patrick's Day Parade guide
If you, like De Blasio, seek a more all-embracing experience, we advise checking out the St. Pat's for All Parade, which (confusingly) takes place this weekend on Sunday, March 2. The procession, which describes itself as "the only fully inclusive parade," is happening in Queens from 1 through 3pm; it will kick off at 47th Street and Skillman Avenue in Sunnyside, and end at Woodside Avenue and 58th Street in Woodside. The mayor has pledged his commitment to march in it. That makes it a historic event, but in addition to the politics, you'll find groups from the Girls Scouts and Mexican dancers to Korean drummers and, of course, Irish step dancers.
In her statement, Mark-Viverito said, "This City Council is committed to celebrating and respecting the diversity of New York City and that is why we’ve decided to not participate in the parade. I hope the organizers will eventually realize that the parade will be better when all New Yorkers can march openly and proudly."
(h/t Daily News)