Irish Queers hit back at religious-right 'phobes on St. Patrick's Day

by quarefella Fri Mar 19, 2004 15:48

IRISH QUEERS BLOCK NYC’S ANTI-GAY ST. PAT’S PARADE

Four activists were arrested at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 56th Street today, blocking the course of the St. Patrick’s Day parade. They were protesting the parade organizers’ exclusion of Irish queers from the parade. A group of a dozen Irish queer protesters erected a seventeen foot tripod at the intersection and one protester was slung from the peak, blocking the intersection. Police tipped over the tripod, and took four of the protesters into custody. One of the protesters was kicked and punched by police.

"Irish queers are part of the Irish community. St. Patrick’s Day is our holiday, " said J. F. Mulligan of Irish Queers. "The attempt by the parade organizers – a right-wing fraternity of businessmen -- to pretend Irish Queers don’t exist by squeezing us out of the parade is pathetic."

"As Irish Americans, we demand to take our place in Irish community celebration. But as New Yorkers, we’re outraged that the mayor supports this overt, intentional display of bigotry, both with city funds and with his presence," said Emmaia Gelman of Irish Queers. "NYC law prohibits anti-gay discrimination because discrimination is wrong. The mayor’s support for this parade flies in the face of the law."

"Homophobia is not just an idea, or even a politics --- it’s a pathology,: said Irish Queers’ Pat Pearse. "Homophobia, and the idea that it’s okay to discriminate against quers, causes hundreds of murders and suicides every year in this country. It’s not okay for the Irish community to turn a blind eye to homophobia, and it’s not okay for the city to fund it."

Activists at the protest held signs reading: "We resist injustice today in honor of Bernadette Devlina dn Rachel Cory." Bernadette Devlin is a long-time non-violent civil rights activist from the North of Ireland, recently denied entry to the US as a "potential or real threat to US security." Rachel Cory is the American human rights activist kiolled yesterday by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, as she engaged in peaceful protest against the abuse of Palestinians’ rights.

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Date: March 18, 2003
Contact: Emmaia Gelman (917) 517-3627

IRISH QUEERS RELEASED AFTER LONG CUSTODY, CITE POLICE HARASSMENT
Close ties between NYPD & St. Patrick’s Parade lead to heavy-handed policing of gay protesters

New York – The last of four activists arrested while blocking the route of the NYC St. Patrick’s Day parade with a 16-foot tripod was released early this evening, after more than 30 hours in police custody. Three protesters were charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing vehicular traffic. One protester, who was pulled through the air and violently dumped off the top of the tripod by police, was charged with reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.

"The idea that they would charge me with reckless endangerment is outrageous", said protester Emmaia Gelman, who was swung through the air at the top of a pole by police before being dumped – handcuffed and head-first – off the top of a police truck by arresting officers. "The police were so intent on clearing the street for the parade that they nearly killed me to do it."

"Police violence against St. Patrick’s Day protesters is intense. Thousands of officers march in the parade, and they seem bent on exacting vengeance on those who dare to object to the parade’s message of hate," said J.F. Mulligan of Irish Queers. "The bigotry of the parade extends naturally to the police who march in it – police homophobia and brutality rears its head year upon year."

Irish Queers cited police violence during arrests, anti-gay language used by officers at the 18th Precinct, punitive 30-hours’ custody, and deliberate misinformation given to attorneys about protesters’ whereabouts in the legal system, as illegal harassment of protesters and attempts to chill dissent.

by eeekkk Fri Mar 19, 2004 15:53

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by caroline - LGBT SOC, (PLUTO), NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND , GALWAY Sat Mar 20, 2004 11:53 pluto at socs dot nuigalway dot ie c/o porter's desk, NUIG, galway

well done folks on your show of visibility in ny. it's very easy to forgot how prejudiced irish society can be and it's great to see that you are an annual thorn-in-the-side of the 'irish community/catholic church alliance'. in case you think that people at home aren't paying any attention to what you're doing...we are and we're very grateful...

by donagh davis - the ecology society, galway Sun Mar 21, 2004 03:36

good stuff, guys. nothing more to say, just from a libertarian viewpoint i highly respect your activities on paddy's day. hear hear

by IQ Sun Mar 21, 2004 15:44 irishqueers at hotmail dot com nyc

thanks for the support! we did a pretty fierce protest this year, and made enough of a wave that the parade organizers (an even-more-wacko-than-usual wing of the AOH) felt obligated to go to the irish-american papers with a story about how queers are trying to corrupt children by marching in the parade, and we should just get chemotherapy or whatever the medical cure is for the "illness" of being gay (irish voice, huge front page story.)

but the press releases posted above are actually from last year's civil disobedience. this year's press releases are also on the irish queers website at http://irishqueers.tripod.com.

e-mail us if you want to get on the irish queers nyc annoucement list. thanks! IQ

by Phuq Hedd Sun Mar 21, 2004 17:26

That's pretty much all I have to say. The AOH represent bigoted, insular and decaying values while the Irish Queers represent humanity, tolerance and love. My Ireland is the one associated with the Irish Queers. Good job on the protest.