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It’s 2012, and in the state of New York gays and lesbians have full civil rights, including marriage equality. Moreover, gays are no longer banned in the U.S. military. But they are still banned from Fifth Avenue’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in an embarrassing throwback for everyone involved.
It’s frankly appalling that NBC, and now its parent company Comcast, still sells the broadcast rights (on its local affiliate, WNBC) to the intolerant bunch that runs the parade (in 2007 that amount was $300,000) and then helps the organizers sell advertising to major companies. More than that, one of NBC’s top executives, a man who aids the organizers in getting those ad dollars, was chosen as this year’s Grand Marshal.
— Michelangelo Signorile, Writer and Radio Host
