Gay Group Marches for First Time in St. Patrick's Day Parade

This Saint Patrick's Day marks the first time in history that an openly gay organization will march in the annual New York City St. Patrick's Day parade in Manhattan, New York. 

After decades of the iconic St. Patrick's Day parade marching down Fifth Avenue, this past September the group that organizes the parade announced that it would be allowing an openly gay group, Out@NBCUniversal, to march in the parade.

Out@NBC Universal consists of openly gay employees of the NBC Universal television network, the group that televises the annual parade.

Despite the parade's decision to allow one gay group to march, some have argued that the compromise is not enough, and more openly gay organizations should be allowed to march in the annual parade celebrating Ireland's St. Patrick.

According to the New York Times, Parade Committee Vice Chairman John Lahey argues that the purpose of the parade is not inclusiveness, but rather celebrating St. Patrick's day and Irish culture in general.

 "We have gays and lesbians, hundreds if not thousands of them, we have college groups and all kinds of Ancient Order of Hibernian organizations that have many gay members marching, so we've never discriminated against gays and lesbians," he said.

"The purpose of this parade is not inclusiveness as an end, it's a parade to celebrate St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland," he added to the media outlet, arguing that the inclusion of a gay group to this year's festivities serves as a "gesture of good will of historic proportion."