Will Staten Island elected officials march in new inclusive St. Patrick’s Day Parade?
Originally published in
Staten Island Advance
on
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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Staten Island elected officials have long been drawn into controversy over the borough’s traditional St. Patrick’s Parade’s exclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, but those who responded to the Advance/SILive.com’s inquiries applauded a second inclusive borough celebration of Irish heritage on March 17.
State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D-North Shore/South Brooklyn), who joined members of the LGBTQ+ community in a protest last year against the traditional parade’s exclusionary practices, applauded the launch of a new tradition.
“I applaud the efforts of the West Brighton BID [organizers of the inclusive parade] ensuring an inclusive St. Patrick’s Day parade on Staten Island,” she said. “I look forward to marching with my friends and family on March 17th, a tradition we long missed taking part in.”