St. Patrick's Parade & Irish Fair

All the Children Equally

produced by Lyell Davies

VHS Videotape 10 minutes

"For a decade Irish lesbians and gays have been denied access to the St. Patrick's Day parade -- which is the largest celebration of Irish culture in New York" -- Brendan Fay

This videotape documents New York's first inclusive St. Patrick's Day parade. For ten controversial years Irish lesbians and gays have been prevented from participating in, and celebrating, their Irish identity during the annual St. Patrick's Day parade celebrations. This changed in the year 2000 with New York's first "all inclusive" parade. This event was not only the first time that lesbians and gays marched openly in a parade, it was also the first time that people of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds were invited to celebrated Irish culture, whether Irish by birth, heritage, or simply by affection. As parade organizer Brendan Fay points out "the Irish like all immigrants since they have arrived here have intermarried, have worked with, have lived with, so it's about sharing our human experience with each other... and it only makes sense that the parade be open to all".

Called "an historical breakthrough" by Newsday (3/3/00), the event was attended by thousands, -- among them representatives of many Irish organizations, political leaders including First Lady Hillary Clinton, and representatives from Korean, Native American, Chilean, Chinese and union groups.

This videotape documents the events of this celebratory day and contains interviews with parade organizers discussing the origins and importance of this event.

"Cherishing all the Children of the Nation Equally"

Irish Declaration of Independence. 1916

Lyell Davies is an Irish documentary maker and artist currently living in in New York. His pervious work has included; Towards a Lasting Peace -- a documentary about Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams first unrestricted visit to the US in 1994; Craic Agus Ceol -- about community arts and activism in the troubled New Lodge district of north Belfast (1995); and Spoken By An Actor -- an examination of censorship in Britain and Ireland (1993).

You can obtain a VHS copy of All the Children Equally by making a donation of $15 or more. Proceeds from sales are solely applied towards this year's St. Patrick's Parade promotional and organizational costs incurred. The $15 charge includes postage and handling fees.

To purchase All the Children Equally make a check (for $15 or more) payable to "St. Patrick's Parade" and mail to St. Patrick's Parade Committee, 22-22 28th St., Astoria, NY 11105. Please do not mail cash!