Dublin LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Pride has criticised the St. Patrick's Day Parade in New York City for its failure to include and allow representatives from LGBT groups to participate in the parade.

Frank Cleary, Chairperson of Dublin Pride, said:
"The exclusion of any groups from celebrating our national holiday abroad is deeply discriminatory and rooted in close mindedness; this is deeply un-Irish and something that we cannot allow to happen in the name of an event that is about celebrating Ireland's rich cultural heritage, of which the LGBT community are a corner stone here in Ireland."

Dublin Pride is calling on the organisers of the St. Patrick's Day festival in New York to cease their discrimination and to facilitate a full expression of the cultural diversity that exists in Ireland.

For more information about Dublin Pride view:
www.dublinpride.ie