Gay Group Marches In Parade

BOSTON--Surrounded by a motorcade of police officers and mounted police, members of the Irish-American Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Pride Committee marched in yesterday's St. Patrick's Day parade amid catcalls and applause.

Twenty-five members of the organization, wearing pink triangles and shouting "Happy St. Patrick's Day," marched through the South Boston neighborhood while some spectators reacted with jeers and threw beer cans and smoke bombs.

One spectator was arrested after a fistfight in the crowd as the gay group marched by.

In addition, signs that read, "God hates fags", "Quarantine the queers" and "AIDS is the cure for homosexuals" were held by spectators who only identified themselves as "Christians" along the parade route.

But members of the Irish-American gay group said they would not be deterred, and that they had a right to participate in the event.

"I'm Irish, I'm from Ireland, I should bloody well be allowed to march," said Dave O'Connor, member of the gay group.

"You can't keep an Irishman down," said Brian T. Callahan, who held one end of a gay pride group's shamrock-adorned banner. "Tell him no and he's not going to listen."

This is the first time such an organization marched in the 91-year-old parade.

Many spectators interviewed yesterday were supportive of the gay group's actions, saying they had a right to march.

"They were welcome," said South Boston resident Paul Kelly. "Everybody's got a right to live."

"I don't like what happened in the papers," said Dennis McCarthy, a South Boston resident. "They're human beings like everyone else."

But some spectators said while they do not disapprove of homosexuality, they feel the group should not use the parade to advocate gay rights.

"There is a right time and place for everything. I'm not against them, but the parade is for fun and not statements," said Lexington resident Leslie Bonini.

"It's disgusting. I don't believe anyone has anything against them, but why did they have to choose [the parade]?" said Kevin W. McKenna, a Somerville resident.

Despite the protests, the parade went well, said John Cloran, the parade's 1984 commander/chief marshall. "There were no problems. Everybody enjoyed themselves at this parade," he said.

Controversy erupted several weeks ago when the parade officials barred the organization from participating. But Suffolk Superior Judge Hiller B. Zobel '53 ruled last Wednesday in favor of the group.

Subsequently, six groups decided not to participate in the parade, citing concern for their safety and lack of practice as reasons.

This story was written with dispatches from The Associated Press.