FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARСH 5, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 17
Photo by Todd Maisel
Inclusiveness celebrated at Queens’ St. Pat’s for All parade
BY TODD MAISEL
editorail@qns.com
@QNS
A massive crowd celebrated St. Patrick’s
Day early in Woodside on Sunday.
Th e annual St. Pat’s for All parade,
which touts “inclusiveness,” brought out
several city leaders, including Mayor
Bill de Blasio, Senator Charles Schumer,
Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez and Carolyn Maloney, among others
on the city, state and federal levels.
“Woodside is a special jewel in that
history of the parade in no small part
because of this beautiful progressive Irish
community in Woodside,” said Ocasio-
Cortez said. “Th e heart and spirit of
today is about inclu- s i v e -
ness, celebration a n d
uplift ing, and we
are celebrating
each other.”
“This is
one of
m y
favorite parades, because everyone is included,
nobody is excluded,” Maloney added.
Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who
is openly gay, recalled being fearful to tell
his grandfather he had come out.
Mayor Bill de Blasio praised the organizers
of the parade and said being “inclusive”
was the way New Yorkers need to be.
“Twenty-one years ago, a diff erent
Irish rebellion broke out, the thought of
respecting everybody – it’s something
that we are feeling today, if not for what
happened 21 years ago, there would still
be a lot of people who are not getting
the respect they deserve,” said de
Blasio of the founding of the St.
Pat’s for All Parade. “Th ank you
to all those who helped build
this from scratch when so
many people said you couldn’t
do it.”
Many elected offi cials and city leaders marched in the St. Pat’s for All parade.
Photo by Todd Maisel
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez greets a young boy at
the parade.
Photo by Dean Moses
Mayor de Blasio
speaks at the parade.
Photo by Todd Maisel
Speaker Corey Johnson spoke
of facing his own fears in
coming out.
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