Florida city forced to cancel St Patrick’s Day parade due to Trump anti-diversity law
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A city in Florida has said it was forced to cancel its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade due to anti-diversity laws.
The city of Delray Beach has also cancelled its Pride event in 2027 due to a state law signed by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis that prohibits local governments from promoting or funding diversity initiatives.
The city said in a statement that restrictions under the law “include certain programming and activities designed or implemented with reference to ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”
However, Mayor Tom Carney said on social media the city was “working feverishly with multiple entities to ensure the 2027 St. Patrick’s Day parade goes on as scheduled.”
Writing on Facebook, he added: “To all of you who live work & play in Delray, I’d like to give a positive update along with an important clarification regarding the status of the 2027 St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
“First, the clarification: The causation of the cancellation has nothing to do with Amendment 3, but rather Senate Bill 1134.
“SB 1134 was passed by both chambers and signed into law by Governor DeSantis. This bill puts severe restrictions on how cities can pay for community events such as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade along with potentially other city sponsored events.
“Now, the good news.
“The St. Patrick’s Day Parade isn’t just another parade. It’s engrained in the DNA of the Delray Beach community.
“I’ve read your social media posts, received your emails and it is clear that the parade means as much to you in the community as it does to me.
“With that, I’d like to announce that the city is working feverishly with multiple entities to ensure the 2027 St. Patrick’s Day parade goes on as scheduled!
“I cannot go into details now, but I will bring you the updates as things progress with our negotiations.
“For those who live, work & play in Delray, we want the Delray Beach St. Patrick’s Day parade to stay!”
St. Patrick’s Day in March honors Ireland’s patron saint and Irish culture and heritage. Pride festivals celebrate LGBTQ communities.
The bill was signed by DeSantis in April and takes effect on January 1.
Republican state leaders and US President Donald Trump’s administration have rallied against diversity, equity and inclusion practices, casting them as discriminatory against groups like white people and men.
At the federal level, Trump has signed executive orders aimed at dismantling such initiatives and has threatened to freeze funds for educational institutions over diversity programs.
Civil rights advocates say diversity initiatives help address historic inequities for marginalized groups like the LGBT community, women and ethnic minorities.
DeSantis says the law requires grant recipients to certify that public funds will not be used to advance such initiatives and provides enforcement mechanisms, including penalties for officials who violate the law.
Last week, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest US Muslim advocacy group, suspended operations in Florida after the enforcement of a separate law that gave state officials power to designate groups as “terrorist organizations.”
