After a year's absence, the traditional St. Patrick's Day parade will return to South Boston--but organizers have barred gay and lesbian groups from participating in the event, according to the parade sponsors.

"[The gay and lesbian groups] want to ram their radical agenda down our throats and disrupt a peaceful event," said John W. Hurley, spokesperson for the South Boston Allied War Veterans' Council (SBAWVC). The SBAWVC has sponsored the parade since 1947.

Previous federal court orders required that the parade's organizers include gay and lesbian groups. But by calling this year's event a protest march, organizers have circumvented the earlier court decision.

Expressing disagreement with the SBAWVC's stance, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has worked to discourage the city's 18,000 employees from participating in the parade in their official capacities.

"The mayor is for the inclusion of gays in the parade," said Dana Forman, a mayoral spokesperson. "He wants to bring unity to the city, not exclusion."

Although city employees have been asked not to march in the parade, police, fire and emergency technicians will still be asked to provide technical assistance, Forman said.

"The mayor does not want uniformed city officials participating," Forman said. "It's not an executive order, but it's the strong wish of the mayor."

Suffolk County Sheriff Robert C. Rufo has alsoasked county police officials not to take part inthe parade, according to news reports.

In 1992 and 1993, after obtaining a federalcourt order, members, of the Irish-American Gay,Lesbian and Bisexual Group of Boston (GLIB)marched in the parade.

But in 1994, rather than abide by the courtorder, the SBAWVC canceled the parade, disruptinga 92-year Boston tradition.

"It is a St. Patrick's Day parade, but there isan element of protest in it," said ChesterDarling, attorney for SBAWVC. "My clients areprotesting the forceinduced inclusion of messagesthat they do not want propagated."

'Their Radical Agenda'

Members of the veterans group have said theywould permit homosexuals to march in the parade,if not for the manner in which the groups would belikely to express their message.

James M. Kelly, president of the Boston CityCouncil and a South Boston resident, said theparade's purpose is to celebrate Irish heritageand culture, and not to further the goals ofgroups such as GLIB.

"This is a parade celebrating the history ofthe Irish contribution to this city," Kelly said.

"Sexual preferences and who people sleep withis their own private business--not something youcarry signs about." For the first time in decades,fire trucks and the color guard will not be partof the parade. Without them, the traditionalatmosphere of the parade will be diminished,according to Hurley.

"If the mayor wants to ruin a Boston tradition,so be it. But I wouldn't want that on myconscience," he said. GLIB members agreed that theparade will lose some of its luster, not becauseof the missing fire trucks and colorful policeunits, but because of its discriminatory stance.

"This is not Irish pride," said Catherine Finn,spokesperson for GLIB. "It's discriminiation onparade."

Finn said members of GLIB showed "exemplarybehavior" when they marched in the parade in 1992and 1993.

Pride in the Irish Heritage

"We've never been a confrontational group," shesaid. "We are part of the Irish community, and wejust want to share in that community like everyoneelse."

The group is being exclude from this year'sparade solely because its members are homosexual,she said.

Finn said she has received dozens of lettersand phone calls of support from Irish-Americanleaders across the country. In addition, she said,the Irish government has barred anyrepresentatives from its office from participatingin the South Boston parade.

GLIB attorney Gretchen Van Ness said that gaysand lesbians are still the target of a bigotrythat goes largely unnoticed.

"If Blacks, Jews or other protected minoritieshad this happen to them, it would be crystal clearthat this is discrimination," Van Ness said.

But officials from the Catholic Archdiocese ofBoston said the resistance to gay rights stemsfrom broader concerns about family and morality.

"Many activists throw the term 'bigotry' aroundvery loosely and very inaccurately," John Walsh,spokesperson for the Catholic Archdiocese, toldthe Boston Globe.

Van Ness compared her group's efforts toparticipate in the St. Patrick's parade to thestruggles fought by civil rights leaders whosought to march in Selma, Ala., in the 1960s.

Kenan Professor of Government Harvard C.Mansfield '53 said he saw no connection betweencivil rights for Blacks and the present debateover gay rights, however.

Many people in our society would say there issomething very wrong about homosexuality,"Mansfield said. "If it is immoral, then tolerationneed not outweigh morality."

Looking Ahead to 1996

Finn said GLIB will march in newly-initiatedSt. Patrick's Day parade in Cambridge if Bostonparade officials again deny gay and lesbian groupsthe chance to take part in their parade.

Last Sunday, about 50 people marched alongMass. Ave. under GLIB's green, white and orangebanner. About 10 gay and lesbian groups, includingthe New England Gay, Lesbian and BisexualVeterans, also participated in the Cambridgecelebration, she said.

"The Cambridge parade was wonderful," she said."It proved it's possible for the Irish communitiesof this area to come together."

Finn said she would continue to pressure SBAWVCmembers for permission to march in the SouthBoston parade. "Civil rights are something youneed to stand up for, even if you step on sometoes in the process," she said.

GLIB has appealed the lower court's rulingwhich permitted SBAWVC to hold this year's protestmarch and exclude gays from the parade. The U.S.Supreme Court will hold oral arguments on April25, Van Ness said.

The South Boston parade will begin at 1:00 p.m.at Broadway Station and end at Andrew Square.Hurley said he expects over 200 floats, bands andgroups to participate