Community Corner
Gay Group Invited to St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston
Members of the group MassEquality will not be able to wear clothing or hold signs that refer to sexual orientation.
MassEquality, the Boston-based group that seeks to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Massachusetts, has been invited to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston this year, according to MyFoxBoston.
The move comes as part of an invitation brokered by Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, who said this week he would boycott the parade unless gay groups would be allowed to march. Walsh's decision echoed that of former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who previously refused to take part in the annual parade due to a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1995 that allowed organizers of a private parade to exclude gay, lesbian and other groups from participating.
The invitation this week, however, comes with the condition that marchers from MassEquality would not be allowed to wear clothing or hold signs that refer to sexual orientation, according to the report.
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On Friday, the Walsh said the invitation was a major breakthrough, and he plans to meet next week with organizers and MassEquality to work out details about signs and tee shirts, according to the Boston Globe.
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