March 4, 2013 By Christian Murray
A large crowd lined Skillman Avenue for the ‘St. Pats for All’ Parade on Sunday as they watched a multitude of Irish, gay and local groups march from Sunnyside into Woodside.
This was the 14th annual St Pat’s for All parade and many of the traditional groups that have become a centerpiece of the event were out in force once again.
There was the Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance, the Keltic Dream Dancers, Irish Arts Center, and the Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride Committee.
This was the first year the Uniformed Fire Officers Association band attended, a sign that the parade continues to become more mainstream, political leaders said. The LGBT community, whose Irish members founded the parade, continue to be well represented.
“This parade has evolved,” said New York Council Speak Christine Quinn, who took the podium. “Initially [the organizers] had trouble getting permits for this,” she said. Today, “this parade is an example of success—where a neighborhood community comes together.”
“Parades like this have changed the entire political landscape,” Quinn said, adding that would not march in the St. Patrick’s Day parade on Fifth Avenue., since gay participants are unable march under their own banner.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a regular attendee, said that “the parade reminds us of the progress we have made—with gay marriage passing in four different states in the past year.”
Photo: QueensPost
However, not everyone was so welcoming. One woman held up signs condemning the gay community.
There were many colorful puppets on display, people on stilts and the canine group Sunnyside United Dog Society (SUDS). Additionally, there was the Shannon Gaels Gaelic Football Association, Sunnyside/Woodside Girl Scouts and anti-war groups.
The parade went from 47th and Skillman Avenue and finished at 58th and Woodside Avenue.
The St. Pat’s for All parade was established when Brendan Fay, the co-chairman of the event, was not allowed to march on the Fifth Ave parade under a gay banner. In response, he established the Sunnyside-Woodside event.
Photo: QueensPost
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34 Comments
This parade is a joke and a disgrace . Irish band on the back of a truck playing Caribbean music ..Heard that from my window. Nothing about the real idea of celebrating the day .
Oh yeah, that would be St Patrick ….
Mr Fay did another great job! Many thanks!!
SUDS new sign was created by our webmaster. The olde one is the original sign made by the founders of SUDS for the 2003 St Patrick’s For All Parade. It’s getting a lil’ dog eared (pun intended), but, I like taking the relic out once a year to honor the folks that started the group:)
Cheers,
Rick
Oh, Craic: you know how to sweet talk a girl!
Instead of pointing out someone else’s life, look at your own and live as you see fit. Why be obsessed with someone else’s lifestyle.
Matthew 7:1-5
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
Luke 6:37
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
The Irish Music Festival that roved the Queens Boulevard bars after the parade was freakin’ awesome. The bar owners should throw down and do it for the community every couple of months. Every place was packed and everyone was it a great spirit.
Parade seems to get better every year. Total mob scene which was really great! Wouldn’t it be great to organize a July 4th parade for the entire community someday as well. SUDS MUTTS loving the new signage – you guys were a huge favorite as usual. How cute is that tubby pooch being carried by owner? so adorable.
What would a Sunnyside parade be without the ugliest dog in town? Glad to see they are still able to waddle down the route!
@JulieJ.: You have a fresh mouth. And I like it.
Julie… I’m just trying to figure out in my post (or Craic’s initial post) that we called anyone names. But you seem very adept at believing that based on my whopping three sentence response that you know an awful lot about me.
Please continue to enjoy your inate ability to ASS-U-ME. It will continue to serve you well, I’m sure.
Yummy, yummy, yummy: I put meat in my tummy!
@O’shea
How do you know it was real fur and not some synthetic version of it? Did you personally verify?
I actually agree with you, Craic Dealer. And Bloomberg slinked off into his limo to get away from the people who want to drink their sodas.
@JulieJ.: I do agree with you on how the politicians slither their way into the rays of something better. Then Bloomberg goes to ban 30oz cups… LOL BUT its more like “Then the People LET Bloomberg make tyrannical laws.”
Notice of course, since some of these brave “men” are writing about the lady with the signs, the ageism and misogyny. Yup, women: if you are a certain age, keep your thoughts to yourself or the so-called liberal fascists will go after you. Don’t you dare think for yourselves!
O’Shea, that is sooo sweet! You keep proving how “tolerant” you are! This is a gay parade that has nothing to do with St. Patrick.
Off topic , but can somebody do something about the homeless guy under the 40 street subway, it’s becoming unhygienic and makes the neighborhood look bad
Hypocrisy: a fur wearing animal killer by proxy, protesting sodomy.
See what happens when you leave aunt betty alone at home?
Let me just hate as much as I want. I’m an ignorant hater. Let me HATE!!!!
JulieJ, just called you enlightened. I must be wrong about that then, right?
All politics and social issues aside, I admit, it was an impressive parade. I saw one of the first ones and it was about as well attended as the current Flag Day parade.
Wow…politically I am an Independent, American Irish, Pro-Saint Patrick, Pro-Gay Rights and Anti-Hate. Didn’t all my years being taught at Queen of Angels and other Catholic parochial schools teach us that we are all made in the image and likeness of God. Wouldn’t that also include people who are homosexual? Isn’t life too short to continually hate others and be exclusionary? Our road in this life should be about love, peace and acceptance.
@JulieJ.: Woow woow… lets reel this in. This parade is to support gay marriage. WHO CARE’S who sticks what where?!?! So long as its mutual who really cares?!?! I sense you’re a Republican but you stop there. I’m a Libertarian; 0% federal laws and 100% Local Laws. 100% Power to the People in their Liberties.
Manning did give up sensitive documents. His revenge was a dish best served cold. But the information was given up all legally to a journalist (protected under the 1st).
Moreover check out this YouTube clip if/when you can: “John Perkins Globalization”
Note that all that Craic, Brendan and “Pops” can do is call names!
Oh, please: I see the “tolerant” Left. As I have kids in the military, I have a right to despise BRADLEY MANNING and his supporters. Case closed. Now, go take a look in the mirror, Brendan and Craic. This is a gay marriage parade. Note that that is the topic that The Emperor Bloomberg discussed. As libs, you should really dislike his interfering in lives.
Thank you Craic for the succinct response from the previous two posters. It’s unfortunately that snide comments and the mock quotes are used instead of well thought out dialogue.
Each one of them would be offended if I called them out on something they hold dear to them just because I disagree.
@Casey: Bradley manning uncovered government tactics that are familiar to previous tyrannical empires like Rome and Britain.
@JulieJ.: I was referring to the picture of the woman holding up a sign. What you know about military?
JulieJ
What an enlightened spirit you have. You must absolutely glow in the friggin dark!
Just wondering how such an intolerant neighborhood puts on such a show!
Misspelled “traitor” – parade hangover!
We do love – but we have qualms about this parade. Bloomberg came to preach about gay marriage – not about a Catholic saint. The usual “progressives” show up to bash our military. Shame on them – and Manning is a T R A I TO OR.
Free to hate but not free to love.
You have to love the free Bradley Manning banner. Nothing says a parade more than glorifying a traitor of this country.
I just hope the city disinfected Skillman Ave. after the parade.
The usual “progressive” garbage proving that this has nothing to do with a Catholic saint. Bloomberg is a self-righteous jerk. Doesn’t he have some smokers he would like to arrest?