New St. Patrick's Day Parade Chairman Anticipates Second Gay Group Will Join Festivities
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the St. Patrick's Day Parade has been named chairman of the board.
The previous chairman, John Dunleavy who had served for 22 years, fought vigorously to prevent gay groups from marching in the parade under their own banner, 1010 WINS' Carol D'Auria reported.
New St. Patrick's Day Parade Chairman Anticipates Second Gay Group Will Join Festivities
Dunleavy has been replaced by Dr. John Lahey PhD. Dunleavy will continue to organize the parade, but the decision making will be done by Lahey.
Parade organizers said Lahey was instrumental in arranging for Out@NBC to join the 2015 parade.
Lahey said a second gay group will march in the parade with their own banner next St. Patrick's Day, a decision on which group will be made in September.
New St. Patrick's Day Parade Chairman Anticipates Second Gay Group Will Join Festivities
"I really think this action that we took last year and that we will take this year will really bring together the Irish community," Lahey said.
"The St. Patrick's day parade is certainly open to different groups marching in the parade, we are certainly not discriminatory," he told WCBS 880's Rich Lamb. "But I also hope that the primary purpose of this parade is not lost on anyone. Namely, we're there to celebrate St. Patrick."
Lahey hopes the commemoration of the patron saint of Ireland and New York "will be more effective if we put this divisive issue to rest," Lamb reported.
Lahey is also the President of Quinnipiac University.
