Jan. 30, 2012 By Christian Murray
The 13th annual Sunnyside-Woodside “St Pat’s for All” parade is scheduled to take place on March 4.
The event, which has always been run on a low budget, is starting its fundraising efforts early this year. This Wednesday the leaders of the event are getting together at Molly Blooms (Queens Blvd (btw. 43rd -44th) and are seeking a suggested donation of $25 per head.
This year’s parade will begin at the corner of 47th Street and Skillman Ave at 2:00 pm, with it ending at 58th Street and Woodside Ave. The post party will be held at Saints & Sinners at 60th Street and Roosevelt Ave.
The “St Pats for All” has grown into one of Sunnyside/Woodside’s largest events. It began after Irish lesbians and gays were prevented from participating in the Fifth Ave. parade—if they elected to march under a gay banner. In response, Brendan Fay, the co-chairman of the “St Pats for All” parade, established the Sunnyside/Woodside event.
The parade has drawn a diverse group of performers over the years. Typical attendees include the Niall O’Leary School of Irish Dance, the Keltic Dream Dancers, bagpipe brigades, Sunnyside Drum Corps. — to the local Sunnyside dog group, SUDS.
The well-known gay groups, such as Dignity USA, Stonewall Democrats of NYC and the Queens Lesbian & Gay Pride Committee tend to march.
At the same time, there tends to be many ethnic groups marching under a multitude of banners, representing countries such as Haiti, Chile, Mexico, Bolivia and Korea.
For further information, please click on St Pats for All
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59 Comments
don’t like police who kill unarmed people. Do you?
I also don’t like when police doing their job are killed.
Both cases are tragic.
The police who help make this parade a success are most excellent and I am grateful to them. They are always nice and respectful.
For those who never attend, this is a partial list of past honorees:
Fr. Mychal Judge
Pete Hamill – journalist/author
The McCourt brothers – Frank, Malachy, Aiden and Michael
Terry George – director/screenwriter
Mary Somosa – who has fought for the rights of children with disabilities
Philip Berrigan – veteran
Frank Durkan – attorney
Ed Fowley – ‘mayor of Woodside”
Eileen Egan, friend of Dorothy Day and Mother Theresa
“anti police brutality” ding ding ding! We gave a winner from the diversity crowd. They don’t like the police apparently. They will be there with their free Mumia signs. As for “anonymous” he suffers from straighophobia and his hatred is pretty blatant. The “parade” remains a farce. And the politicans who attend are cowards.
Those who march, including the politicians , are marching in support of the all inclusive aspect of the parade which is to say they support everyone in the parade. I think that’s pretty obvious , no deception there. You can try to mask your homophobia with this political dialouge but the ugly truth is visible. Hate can’t conquer hate, only love can conquer hate. I sincerely hope the homophobes on this post can find some love inside them.Live and let live.
Now I must go cheer on my Giants. GO GMEN!! ALL IN!
Aren’t we lucky to have the opportunity to share how we feel and not attend a parade or support it and attend? It’s a beautiful thing. The event is diverse with many different groups. It’s not group think. This year’s theme will be Occupy Sunnyside Homophobes.
Hopefully there will be some anti-police brutality. RIP Ramarley Graham.
Mr. Perry – your sarcasm has been duly noted. This “parade” is a farce – it is really a gay rights parade that the politicians attend to show how much they support gays. They have a right to do that – but they are dishonest about it. It is also a far left parade that in the past had signs supporting cop killer Jumia from Philadelphi and signs that compared Giuliani to Mussolini. Very nice. As well as the usual anti military signs. Sorry, Mr. Perry – most of us boycott this parade. We know a skunk when we smell it.
Yes a big elaborate scam which invites neighbors from near and far to come out of their homes and unite and ,dare I suggest, have a nice day together. The creators of this scam are clearly EVIL DOERS and MUST BE STOPPED! LOL!
NRO,
…only to inform you…”sooz perry” is a “Ms” not a “Mr.”.
I’ll be there with my daughter to enjoy the “wholesome?” entertainment.
Mr. Perry, some of us will not be clutching the Bible but we do think that this “parade” is a scam. We feel your love, however.
Here’s a suggestion for all those so bothered by the gay participation in this parade: Stay home clutching your bibles trying to pray the gay away. While you are doing that, the rest of the neighborhood will have fun enjoying a lovely community event. Now if only Sables Scities could be the Grand Marshal!
@Ian
You underscored my point. I’m sure that while the club was very open-minded for its time, and no doubt closeted gay men competed, if an openly gay athlete had try to join, I don’t think the welcome mat would have extended that far. The same goes now for the main St. Pat’s parade: there are certainly many gay people in the parade, it’s just that parading under a gay banner isn’t accepted as it goes against the religious beliefs of the organizers. Apparently, their religious beliefs are not worthy of respect which is what I object to. People who preach “tolerance” often don’t practice it.
The people who dislike the parade are not “haters”, Ian. They just feel that the parade has been hijacked for a narrow agenda since gay people can march in the big parade on 5th Avenue – but not under a “gay” banner. Do you think there are no gay people in the Fifth Avenue parade? Of course, there are! Also, I note that one year a guy who had illegally performed gay marriages (the former Mayor of New Paltz) was the guest of honor. What does his illegally performing gay marriages have to do with St. Patrick’s Day unless this is a gay parade?
@ Allow
In my extensive research, I have not found any openly gay members of the I-AAC. Nor have I found any evidence of anyone being excluded or removed from the club because of their sexual orientation.
I think the important fact is that in an era of segregation and discrimination, the I-AAC was an inclusive organization. And that was more than a century ago!
And I can guarantee that amongst the 100s of athletes who competed for this group, some of those “confirmed bachelors” had very valid reasons for being such!;-)
What about lesbianism? Is that ok? Lots of chat about men. Let’s not forget to condemn the lesbians! They must be feeling left out.
@Ian
The IAAC was indeed a great organization that the neighborhood should be educated about and proud of (I applaud your efforts in that area) but as inclusive as they were back in the day, I seriously doubt they would have accepted an openly gay athlete.
Wow! The anonymity of the internet certainly bolsters the hatred of the cowardly!
As a Sunnyside/Woodside resident with roots in this community dating back almost a century, I’m proud to have marched with my fellow neighborhood residents in the St. Pat’s for All parade, for the better part of the last decade.
To those who falsely maintain that this is a parade by interlopers, I pose this question: How many of the participants in the 5th Avenue St. Patrick’s Day parade live on 5th Avenue?
To those who imply that somehow diversity and inclusivity are somehow contrary to celebrating Irish culture, I offer the following tidbit of Sunnyside/Woodside history:
More than 100 years ago, when this area was mostly farmland, one of the first groups to plant roots here was the Irish-American Athletic Club. Their membership included Catholics, Protestants and Jews – Germans, Swedes, Poles, Finns and Italians as well as native born Irishman. They were truly representative of what Queens, would become – religiously and ethnically diverse and tolerant.
Reflecting on his life, Abel Kiviat, one of the first Jews to win an Olympic gold medal, mentioned that one of the proudest moments of his life was marching with the Irish-American Athletic Club up 5th Avenue in the St. Patrick’s day parade a hundred years ago next month.
Should he have been excluded from the St. Patrick’s DAy parade because he wasn’t Catholic?
It’s been a pleasure to watch the St. Pat’s For All parade grow each year, while the number of hate spewing bigots has dwindled to less than a handful.
Looking forward to marching on March 4th, behind the Winged Fist banner, in honor of the Irish-American Athletic Club, while celebrating the words from the Proclamation of the Irish Republic – “Cherishing ALL the children of the Nation EQUALLY”!
Ian McGowan
Founder,
Winged Fist Organization
By the way, Bitchy Waiter,
I thought that you took a lot of unnecessary heat from commenters when the Sunnyside Post featured a story about your appearance on CBS’s Sunday Morning. I meant to post then to say that I thought you performed quite well; I know that what you did isn’t as easy as it looks. During that time, however, time got away from me; and, I wasn’t able to make that post. Although off-topic, I’m taking this opportunity to congratulate you. I hope it leads to a regular gig.
Also, I had only seen you, before that, in the photo of you in your “Flo the Waitress” Halloween costume. Truth is, you are quite handsome.
I hate that!
😉
Give The Bitchy Waiter a big tip!
Love these comments. Keep ’em coming.
Thanks Brendan, Kathleen and all who helped make for a great event last night. I encourage folks to atttend the next event celebrating the parade, which takes place at the Irish Arts Center on March 2. Author Peter Quinn and homeless-rghts advocate Mary Brosnahan will be there to be honored, as well as singers, dancers and poets.
Sunnyside and Woodside benefit from this annual “inclusive” parade. People come from all over the city to celebrate the start of the St. Patrick’s day “season”–to celebrate the immigrant experience–to celebrate the good things we all have in common, and to “cherish the children.” People stay around after the parade and spend money in local businesses. It is good for our community. This year the parade will be on March 4th. Be there! Bring your families, especially the children, and have FUN!
Celebrate_diversity_or_else
“There’s a Muslim Day parade every year in NY. Have any gay groups demanded to openly march in it? If not, why?”
Well, let’s be honest, Ramadan just isn’t that much fun at St. Pat’s 🙂
Honestly, there’s probably not very many (out) Muslim gays.
There’s lots of out Catholic gays and non-Catholic gays who celebrate St. Pat’s as a secular day of celebration of Irish culture though.
Raquel –
“don’t see Christians and Jews stoning gays.”
Really? Because it is not uncommon. Here’s just a list of the famous murders perpetrated by homophobes just in the US. Many in the name of their religion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_violence_against_LGBT_people_in_the_United_States
Here’s some more info on international violence against gays (with mentions of Christian and Jewish views): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_LGBT_people
“However, I do see radical secularists mocking anybody who dares to disagree with them”
Are you really comparing “stoning gays” (which murders due to homophobia DO happen) to “secularists mocking” religious people (which is pretty limited to the internet)? That’s not even in the same league.
But if religious people can practice their beliefs and openly condemn issues they are against (ie gays are going to hell and people who say otherwise are evil doers), then people who share different beliefs can do the same (ie homosexuality is okay, and people who say otherwise are silly/dumb/whatever).
Your views aren’t being oppressed by people responding to you critically (although many of the commenters here I will admit are immature and disrespectful on both sides). Conversation is the heart of society.
As for the “laughing at old ladies” reference, (which is VERY rude and I would never ever do – I’m going to be a little old lady too some day!) the fact of the matter is views like yours are ending. Some may see that as a good thing, and I’m sure you see that as a bad thing, but it is something that is happening regardless.
You are right, NAMBLA did used to participate in gay pride activities, until they were resoundingly ousted from LGBT events in 1980. By 1985 every single LGBT group was against them. Gay rights grew out of the sexual rebellion of the late 1960’s, and unfortunately NAMBLA tagged along with them for 10 years until they were ousted.
“The Christian/Jewish community, as a whole, knows that certain passages in the Bible are, to put it bluntly, outdated and retrograde yet you seek to tar them with it.”
I actually agree with you on this. A lot of biblical stores are outdated! We certainly don’t condone slavery and so forth as ethical any more, regardless of what the Bible says! This is why many Jews and Christians have decided that condemning homosexuality is also wrong in this day and age.
You are one of my fave posters although we disagree on many things! I do not mean any disrespect to you in my posts, I hope you understand that 🙂
Not for nothing, but isn’t it “ageism” when you ridicule “old ladies” for being “old”??? Yup, the diversity crowd isn’t bigoted!
I think that Sarah et al don’t know very much about the Judeo-Christian ethic which means hate the sin but love the sinner. I don’t see Christians and Jews stoning gays. However, I do see radical secularists mocking anybody who dares to disagree with them. I noticed that somebody on this thread called the women who protest the parade “old ladies” and said that she likes “laughing at them”. Those “old ladies” happen to pray for the misguided people in the parade. As for certain passages in the Bible, perhaps we should post on line the handbook of the notorious group known as NAMBLA which used to participate in the Gay Pride Parade. Point, counterpoint! Oh, but Sarah, Mother Goose and others, you would say that NAMBLA is not representative of the gay community! The Christian/Jewish community, as a whole, knows that certain passages in the Bible are, to put it bluntly, outdated and retrograde yet you seek to tar them with it.
Mike Novak,
My strong advice, Hoss, is to relax. By focusing on negative things (“bile, spewing poison, intolerance, and hate”), you’ll become obsessed with what is ugly; and, you’ll lose your ability to be rational. Remember: “seek, and ye shall find…”.
Laugh at what you find foolish: if you get all huffy and puffy, you appear weak. Offer, instead, an uplifting example; as Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. You elevate the elements you abhor by opposing them in the same way that you believe they affront you.
Don’t like the “spewing poison”? Spew anti-dote.
Shame on all you haters.
If you watch the faces of the children who watch the parade, they are having a great time watching colorful floats and costumes, the music and dancing…its the “ADULTS” who are filled with bile, spewing poison and hate. Hate is learned in the home and shame on all those to preach hate and intolerance to their children.
Lets face it, Saint Paddy’s Day in this country has squat to do with religion or gay rights. It’s an excuse to get loaded. Knocking back Guinness and crapping an 8-Ball the next day is common ground many people of diverse backgrounds can relate to.
DEUTERONOMY 22:13-21
If it is discovered that a bride is not a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed by stoning immediately.
DEUTERONOMY 22:22
If a married person has sex with someone else’s husband or wife, the Bible commands that both adulterers be stoned to death.
MARK 10:1-12
Divorce is strictly forbidden in both Testaments, as is remarriage of anyone who has been divorced.
LEVITICUS 18:19
The Bible forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during a woman’s period. If they disobey, both shall be executed.
MARK 12:18-27
If a man dies childless, his widow is ordered by biblical law to have intercourse with each of his brothers in turn until she bears her deceased husband a male heir.
DEUTERONOMY 25:11-12
If a man gets into a fight with another man and his wife seeks to rescue her husband by grabbing the enemy’s genitals, her hand shall be cut off and no pity shall be shown her.
There’s a Muslim Day parade every year in NY. Have any gay groups demanded to openly march in it? If not, why?
For the many biblically illiterate here.
Jesus stopped the crowd from stoning Mary Magdalene to death for adultery. That did not mean he approved of adultery. He then told her to “go and sin no more.” (People tend to forget that inconvenient part). The same holds true for homosexuals. They are indeed God’s children. He loves them but hates the sins they commit. It’s not that difficult to understand.
Perhaps scientology is more for you.
“If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” (Leviticus 20:13)
vs.
“For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.” (Leviticus 20:9)
So kill yourself if you truly believe in this you old fart. If you cursed your mother or father you are the same as a homosexual in God’s eyes.
” Jesus himself would have stood with the gays. ”
Sarah, you are sadly ignorant of scripture. You are confusing Jesus with some pothead hippie college professor you probably had. God made his feelings about homosexuality quite clear when he destroyed Sodom & Gomorrah. If you have your own feelings on homosexuality, that’s up to you, but misrepresenting the Gospel to suit your liberal agenda is despicable.
I’ve lived in the area for over 25 years and my family has attended and enjoyed this parade every year since it started. There is no more authentic way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and diversity in Queens and NYC than watching The Keltic Dream Dancers and other participants perform on our streets. Thanks to all the parade organizers for creating a great day.
It’s not, as you so indelicately say, claptrap. It’s a direct challenge to anti-gay fundamentalists like you. You are modern day segregationists. Jesus himself would have stood with the gays. You can stay home and pray to your effigy of Ronald Reagan on the day. You won’t be missed.
Sarah, that’s no answer. That’s just vague, self-flattering, hippie-dippie, sentimental, new age clap-trap.
As far as God, Jesus, the saints and love, apparently you seem to know their minds better than they do. Love the sinner, hate the sin. You must be a member of the church of whatever floats your boat. No pesky moral codes, just a validation of every hedonistic pursuit. Groovy man.
Simple answer: you don’t own God, Jesus, the saints or indeed love.
My question to the gay advocacy groups: why do you want to march to honor a saint of a church that considers your sexual activities to be a mortal sin? It seems a lot more like a deliberate insult. I mean if there were a Harvey Milk Day parade, you wouldn’t see the Knights of Columbus or the John Birch Society trying to march in it.
My only complaint about this parade (as well as some of the posters above) is the use of shortened version of the name Patrick. It’s not St. Pat, nor St. Patty, nor St. Paddy, the name is St. Patrick.
The anonymity of the internet makes the worst people in Sunnyside very insulting, doesn’t it? I’m willing to bet there is nothing Irish about posters who call themselves Rocky Balboa II for example. Just who are these people to cast aspersions on their neighbors?
I’m Irish, I’m from County Mayo, I have lived on 44th Street since 1993, I’m married, and we line up to watch the Sunnyside/Woodside St. Pat’s Parade every year like the majority of our neighbors.
Here’s why: we actually think equal rights are for all American’s, not just the overgrown Archie Bunker’s who can’t talk to or understand anyone different to themselves.
It’s a truly diverse parade too, which makes it more interesting to look at and I appreciate Molly Blooms hosting a benefit for it tonight at 7:00PM.
wow. So much hate on these posts sometimes.
This parade has been such a great event for our neighborhood. I’ve cheered from the sidewalk for the last 5 years and I’ve noticed the numbers grow.
It’s a plus for our business’s as well as our local community groups. . . I always look forward to SUDS!
Big thanks to Brendan and all of the other organizers.
This parade is just the mini-me version of the gay pride parade and has little to do with anything saintly. The St. Patrick label is just a disguise. I’d have more respect for the parade if they were honest about who they were and didn’t mock a catholic saint to further their agenda.
it’s always great fun to mock the uptight ladies with the silly signs.
Love the parade! Thanks Brendan and all of the groups who fight for equality, justice, and and end to homophobia.
This has become a very confusing parade…now gays and lesbians have all the rights legally under the law… this should be a parade to unify our town not to break it apart…let who ever wants to march,,march incuding our pubic officials that have a field day usually with an election years which this one is not..all our organizatins should be marching together to unify our town… maybe we need one on greenpont or the blvd as well to make us all happy
Rocky –
So you are complaining that people from outside the area come TO the area? Isn’t that a good thing? Particularly for businesses?
There is nothing Irish about this parade. The owners have to go to outside groups to obtain participants. It is really a gay marriage parade. And now that gay marriage is legal in NY State, why are they even having this parade???
Raquel –
People outside of the Irish Catholic faith appreciate St. Patty’s Day as well. I celebrate Martin Luther King Day even though I’m not Black, Cinco De Mayo although I’m not Mexican, Veteran’s Day even though I’m not a vet, and so on and so on.
In Ireland, St Patrick’s Day is not the big deal we make of it here. In fact, the revelry that does take place is relatively recent, and brought over by Irish Americans. They didn’t do festivals until the mid-90’s. In the US, for some, it is a Saint’s Day, but for many it is a day of revelry to celebrate Irish ancestry.
The main parade in Manhattan is not inclusive of everyone who would like to celebrate. That’s why I appreciate our parade.
And where else in the world outside of NYC can you find a Black and Hispanic Irish dance troupe? Really, that’s why I love NYC. How wonderful that they are performing!!!!
Yeah, this neighborhood doesn’t like this parade and we DON’T like Martin Luther King day either. All we like is apple pie, mom, and sitting around worshipping a shrine of Joe McCarthy and watching reruns of The Waltons.
Molly Blooms is for deviants, and now Saints and Sinners is on the blacklist as well.
Maybe Mr. Staunton (Mmolly Bloom’s)S will hold the parade at Molly Bloom’s! If this is an Irish parade in honor of St. Patrick, why does it recruit Latino groups and others to march in it? The Fulan Gong or whatever they call themselves have participated in it. Next, Mary Kay salespeople will be marching with the Avon ladies. The neighborhood does not like this parade hence, very few people on the sidewalk watching it.
Good to see our premier neighborhood gay bar Molly Bloom’s is at the forefront of this event.
Dear God, please don’t make us have to be subjected to that horribly ugly bulldog dressed up like a leprechaun again!
I had no idea that Saints & Sinners was a gay bar.
“So happy you selected the Keltic Dreams for your photo. I loved the documentary film “A Bronx Dream,” that Showtime aired a few years ago.”
Most definitely. I stumbled upon that documentary a few years ago and was so happy I did.
A little while later, I also saw them marching – what a thrill to see them!
Everyone should check out that flick.
“One of Sunnyside’s largest events” . . . there are more people in the parade than on the sidewalks watching it! Brendan Faye, the organizer, lives in Astoria yet invades us every year. Why doesn’t he do this in Astoria? The “Free Mumia” signs are very impressive. The 108th just looooooves those signs honoring a cop killer!
This is not an Irish parade representing St Patrick, it is a JOKE …….
Call it what it is ….
We are ALL “God’s Children” and we ALL should learn to be tolerant of our differences and celebrate LIFE!
So happy you selected the Keltic Dreams for your photo. I loved the documentary film “A Bronx Dream,” that Showtime aired a few years ago. Are they joining in the Sunnyside parade again this year?
Always so proud to participate and represent the neighborhood. Unfortunately this year, I will be traveling during this time but look forward to attending next year!
This parade is not “all inclusive”. I remember the Giuliani bashing and the Bush bashing of not that long ago. It is a parade done by people who, for the most part, do not live in the Sunnyside/Woodside area. Very few Catholic churches (if any) participate.