De Blasio Marches Through Snow In LGBT-Friendly St. Pat's For All Parade
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio was in Queens Sunday for the LGBT-friendly alternative to New York City's main St. Patrick's Day Parade, which excluded official gay groups for years.
The Democrat last year refused to march in the Fifth Avenue parade, saying it wasn't fully inclusive -- although organizers have said they'd welcome one officially gay contingent this year.
And despite the snow on Sunday, participants from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut -- and elsewhere -- marched in what they call the St. Pat's for All march in Queens.
De Blasio Marches Through Snow In LGBT-Friendly St. Pat's For All Parade
"Basically because everyone is equal and everybody have the right to march, and different from the one on Fifth Avenue, and they're not allowed to kind of like show their flag," one paradegoer told WCBS 880's Jim Smith.
Mayor de Blasio said at this point, he's not ready to commit to marching on Fifth Avenue come St. Patrick's Day, but did not shut the door completely on the idea.
"I hope for some more progress with the parade in Manhattan, but there's still time, and we look forward to you know, some additional discussion," de Blasio said.
The mayor said that adding a single LGBT group to march this year is a pretty narrow concession; he'd like to see something more inclusive.
De Blasio Marches Through Snow In LGBT-Friendly St. Pat's For All Parade
"A lot of people feel, and I think rightfully, that that is too small a change to merit a lot of us participating who have wanted to see an inclusive parade," de Blasio told reporters, including 1010 WINS' Roger Stern.
A number of other elected officials have said they plan to boycott.
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito also marched in the St. Pat's for All parade Sunday.
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