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Aired Mar 17, 2022

Catholic, Irish, LGBTQ+ – and Proud of All Three!

While Ireland is now one the most progressive countries in Europe when it comes to LGBTQ+ inclusion, that has not always been the case. And for queer Irish Americans, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day can be complicated, especially in places where LGBTQ+ organizations are still prohibited from participating in the day’s festivities. This episode of Something To Talk About Live, we will be discussing Kayla Simas’s article on SILive.comBarred from the Staten Island parade LGBTQ community celebrates Irish heritage at PRIDE Center” with human rights activist and filmmaker Brendan Fay.

We hosted a conversation about this article as a part of PFLAG Connects and Something to Talk About Live on Thursday, March 17. Did you miss it? You can still watch it here!

Article: Barred from the Staten Island parade LGBTQ community celebrates Irish heritage at PRIDE Center

Source: SILive.com

Author: Kayla Simas

Questions for Discussion:

  1. Prior to reading this article, how much did you know about the exclusion of LGBTQ+ groups from St Patrick’s Day Parades in New York City and other cities throughout the US?
  2. In the article, two members of PRIDE Center of Staten Island staff say that some people fear that their organization’s inclusion would “ruin the parade” or that they would “do something inappropriate.” Where have you heard similar arguments against LGBTQ+ inclusion being made? How do you respond when you hear comments like this?
  3. What impact do you think groups like the PRIDE Center of Staten Island having a presence on the parade route, businesses along the route displaying supportive signs, and a rainbow run has on the community? What else can LGBTQ+ folks and their allies do to demonstrate their pride at events where they are being purposefully excluded?

Bonus read: Check out “Years after legalizing gay marriage, Ireland finally removes homophobic and misogynistic teaching material” in the Washington Post by Rachel Pannett and  “Ireland’s Incredible Transformation Into an LGBTQ+ Haven” in the Advocate by Alan Diamond to learn more about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people living in Ireland and of Irish Americans.

About Our Guests:

Brendan Fay, human rights activist and filmmaker

Ways to Watch:

Something to Talk About Live is a series designed by PFLAG National’s Straight for Equality program to create conversation about LGBTQ+ issues. Each week we offer an article on LGBTQ+ topics and suggest a few questions you can use to lead a discussion with your ERG, community group, or PFLAG chapter.