New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he won't march in the annual St. Patrick's Day parade through the streets of Manhattan if "gays" aren't allowed.
De Blasio made the announcement while participating in a specially created parade for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders held in Sunnyside, Queens, over the weekend.
"You are a hardy troupe," he told the hundreds that braved the snowfall for the Sunday gay pride event, the Associated Press reported. "You are here to celebrate no matter what. That is what pride is all about – pride in the fact that in New York City, you can be whoever you are."
Advertisement - story continues below
The city's main St. Paddy's parade attraction, decades in running, is set for March 17. But it will likely go forth absent the mayor if LGBT groups aren't allowed to officially join the procession and wave their banners.
The news blog Gothamist.com reported one LGBT-tied group, [email protected], would be allowed to march. But de Blasio said one wasn't enough to guarantee his participation.
TRENDING: Is this what you voted for, America?
"I'm not ready to commit to marching, because all we've heard is that one delegation related to NBC will be allowed to have members of the LGBT community in it," de Blasio told reporters. "Even though it is a statement of some progress that this NBC delegation has been included, we need something more for it to really feel like we've turned the corner here."
De Blasio did boycott the Manhattan St. Patrick's Day parade last year – the first mayor in 20 years to skip participation, Gothamist.com reported.
