As the number of coronavirus cases continues to decline and warm weather starts to peek through the wintry gray, promising flashes of normal life have begun to reappear in New York City.
On Staten Island, that means the return of the local St. Patrick’s Day Parade. It also signals the return of a bitter conflict over whether gay groups will be allowed to march.
As usual, they will not. Organizers have long barred gay, lesbian and transgender groups from marching in the local parade, even after the New York City St.
Patrick’s Day parade in Manhattan ended a two-decade ban in 2014. In 2020, the last time there was a parade in Staten Island, officials took an even harder line.