NYC St. Patrick's Parade Lifts Ban On Gay Groups

The well-known St. Patricks' Day parade in New York City announced Wednesday that it would be ending its centuries-old ban on allowing openly gay groups to march in its annual parade.

Committee members behind the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade announced Wednesday that they had unanimously voted to allow the OUT@NBCUniversal group to march with an identifying banner in this year's parade. The group is reportedly composed of LGBT employees working at NBC, the television network that broadcasts the parade.

Bill O'Reilly, spokesman for the parade committee, told the Associated Press that the committee's "change of tone and expanded inclusiveness is a gesture of goodwill to the LGBT community in our continuing effort to keep the parade above politics."

O'Reilly added that the parade's purpose is still "remaining loyal to church teachings." Gay groups had previously been banned from openly marching in the parade because the Irish-themed event was expected to fall in line with Catholic teaching on morals and lifestyle.

In past years, the committee has refused to allow gay groups to march in the parade with an identifiable banner, causing backlash from some in the political community. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio refused to march in the parade last year, instead opting for a more gay-friendly parade in Queens.

Additionally, the Guinness Beer brand dropped its sponsorship of the 2014 St. Patrick's Day Parade due to its LGBT policy.

"Organizers have diligently worked to keep politics — of any kind — out of the parade in order to preserve it as a single and unified cultural event. Paradoxically, that ended up politicizing the parade," the committee's statement read.