STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It all started over a pint and friendly conversation between two Staten Islanders proud of their Irish heritage. One night in 2024 in Doc Hennigans on Forest Avenue in West Brighton, Edward Patterson, then the president of the Richmond County Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), and Carol Bullock, executive director of the Pride Center of Staten Island, sat down for a drink. For many consecutive years, Bullock was turned away by the Richmond County St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee when she’d apply to march in the borough’s annual celebration of Irish heritage. Each year, she was turned down because the Pride Center is an LGBTQ+ organization. She shared her frustration and disappointment with Patterson that night at the pub. That’s when Patterson said he thought he could make a difference -- convince the parade committee to allow the Pride Center to march. “Carol’s organization is not remotely radical, right? They’re regular people looking to march in a parade. And Carol had said to me, ‘We just want to be treated like everybody else,’” said Patterson. Patterson had hoped he could broker an agreement between the two groups. And Bullock was hopeful too. But her hope was shattered that year when she went to apply to march in the parade, and like every other year, was turned down. Patterson said he was also disappointed his attempts failed. The result was two St. Patrick’s Parades -- one organized by the parade committee which banned the Pride Center from participating, and another organized by the Forest Avenue Business Improvement District where the Pride Center marched -- in 2024. But Patterson and other AOH members wanted to make a change. While the AOH and the parade committee are two separate entities (and the AOH doesn’t organize or operate the parade), the parade committee “is a functionary arm of the Board of Directors,” explained Patterson. “The Board of Directors consists of the two AOH county presidents and the division presidents, and that quorum was amenable to making the change. Therefore, the election was called, and we were installed,” he added. With this, a new parade committee was born -- all of whom unanimously voted to invite the Pride Center to march in the 2025 parade, which will unfold on Sunday along Forest Avenue. “We thought we could convince the prior parade committee that what we were doing was the right thing, which is our belief. Sadly, they were not moved to our cause. So, as our bylaws permitted, we conducted an election,” said Patterson. In addition to Patterson, who is chairman, the new parade committee is comprised of: Yvonne Sheehan, president; Cynthia Donnelly, vice president; Catherine Reid, secretary; and Desmond Sheehan, treasurer. “The parade committee is also meant to do just a two to four year stint,” said Yvonne Sheehan. “So part of it was that fact, and part of it was that we just had to move on [to invite the Pride Center]. And the move by the new parade committee hasn’t been easy, but they said they are “proud” to have made the change. “This has come at the expense of some long-term relationships, friendships, and that is most regrettable. But doing the right thing is rarely easy, right? So we believe that’s what we’ve done, and we are proud of that,” said Patterson. “We have no acrimony. We have no ill will toward anyone. And we just want to get out there and have a fantastic day.” And no one is more excited than Bullock. “We are excited,” said Bullock. “I think about people like Jim Smith [known as Staten Island’s ‘father of gay pride,’ who died in 2020], who came way before me, and I wish he was here. It’s really going to be great.” “We’re happy to have the Pride Center marching with us, but the focus remains upon St. Patrick and the culture, traditions, history and faith of the Irish people. That’s the focus of the parade. We’re proud of the Pride Center, because they are part of the community, and they’re interested in marching,” said Patterson. Added Desmond Sheehan: “We’re proud to have the pride with us.”
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