In what can only be described as a historic leap forward for inclusivity, New York City’s Staten Island will be embracing its LGBTQ+ community in the green-clad festivities of the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, come 2025. Mayor Eric Adams has lauded the decision by the Richmond County St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee that, after years of resistance, LGBTQ+ groups will march under their own banners. The committee’s about-face on this issue marks an end to the outdated exclusion that has marred the parade’s reputation for decades.
According to a statement from
the Mayor’s office,
Adams stated, “From day one, our administration has been clear that celebrations in our city should be welcoming and inclusive, which is why we brought the community together, along with the Staten Island Business Outreach Center, to create the first-ever — and incredibly successful — fully-inclusive St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Staten Island earlier this year.” He heralded the progress, stating, “We are thrilled that, this year, Staten Island’s LGBTQ+ community will finally be welcome to march under their own banner in the Richmond County St. Patrick’s Day Parade and we applaud the committee for coming to this decision, which was a long-time coming.” The move comes after the Staten Island parade stubbornly remained the last in the world to bar LGBTQ+ participants.
2024 saw a sea change in Staten Island’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, with the success of a fully inclusive parade championed by Mayor Adams. The previous year had seen the Mayor participating in the “Rainbow Run,” a demonstration of solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community who had been excluded from the traditional celebration. His administration’s efforts have been multifaceted, including a historic visit to the Pride Center of Staten Island back in November 2022, which saw Adams become the first sitting mayor to do so.
Commendations have been extended to local advocacy groups such as the Pride Center of Staten Island and the Lavender and Green Alliance, whose unwavering efforts have been instrumental in pushing for inclusion. “Congratulations to the Staten Island community, including the Pride Center of Staten Island and the Lavender and Green Alliance, for their long advocacy for inclusion,” said Mayor Adams in the aforementioned
press release
. In a place known for its proud Irish-American roots, the welcoming of LGBTQ+ groups into the fold represents, not just a parade lineup change, but a broader cultural acceptance taking stride in one of the city’s most celebrated events.
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