“The opinions expressed by the group behind us are their own and do not reflect those of the organizers of the parade� banner

with

<closet>

and replace the

“we now resume our regularly scheduled parade� banner

with

</closet>

The group has a point - gay people ask to be included in parades run by people who want to exclude us. (Though being “Proud to be gay and Irish� is hardly the same as being an anti-Irish group asking to be in the St. Patrick’s Day parade). So call them on it.

And it is the Supreme Court rulidng about keeping homos out of Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade (excuse me, Evacuation Day) that allows the Chicagoe Pride Organizers to exclude the “Rev.” Israel.

James Elsman, a lawyer working with Israel, said he wasn’t so sure the Chicago homosexual group was correct in that interpretation, especially since Israel has been “participating� in the parade with his protests for a number of years already.

Awesome! So all I have to do is stand outside the White House and yell a few times and they’ll invite me in to their policy discussions?

And actually, from a practical point of view, I don’t think they should be allowed to participate. I think it would distract from the message organizers want to send, and be upsetting to people who come to Pride events to find community and support.

You’re right, of course. I wasn’t trying to say that the Pride parade people should be required to accept them. They definitely have the right to exclude anyone. And they would be absolutely legally justified in doing so. But it would make a very powerful “we’re secure enough in ourselves” message.

The organizers definitely need to have some say in who participates, even those who might claim that they aren’t anti-gay (NAMBLA leaps to mind). The entirely correct answer to those groups is “so hold your own parade.”

Just being flippant, but wouldn’t it be choice to let them in the parade, but then have them follow group with a banner that said something along the lines of “Closeted people are the most homophobic.”

;-)

This from a woman who doesn’t like eggplant.

Yeah, it’s really not the same. But let’s not forget that the organizers of that parade–technically not the city of Boston, but a private group–Boston would have had to include the gay group–successfully got the Supreme Court to say that their right to free speech would be infringed by applying MA’s antidiscrimination law to make them include a message they disagreed with in their parade. There is no right to be in a parade organized by a private group–especially a private advocacy group–if your inclusion would dilute or contradict their message. If the Moral Majority organizes a parade, they don’t have to let me in with my “Yay for Abortion!” float. If the NAACP has a parade, they don’t have to let the KKK have a float, either. That’s how it goes.

And actually, from a practical point of view, I don’t think they should be allowed to participate. I think it would distract from the message organizers want to send, and be upsetting to people who come to Pride events to find community and support.

Then the group will get miles and miles of direct response to their efforts. And it will be televised, right along with all the groups of normal, well-balanced, family-friendly people. They’ll look like complete idiots.

The group has a point - gay people ask to be included in parades run by people who want to exclude us. (Though being “Proud to be gay and Irish” is hardly the same as being an anti-Irish group asking to be in the St. Patrick’s Day parade). So call them on it.

Let them march - and under the same rules of behavior that apply to everyone else. What makes me think that they either won’t pay their parade fee or simply just won’t show up at all on Pride day?

If they do show up, put the gay religious groups around them in the parade. (and have someone on hand to clean things up when their intolerant brains explode all over the parade route.)

Peter

Homo sex quite literally causes the Holy Spirit so much pain that if it were possible for God to vomit He would do so?This is the kind of ill feelings that evil men give to the God of the Bible?.they give Him heartburn as it were by virtue of their sexual perversity.

Wow, what a lame deity. It can’t even vomit but I’m supposed to believe that it created the world in six days?