Florida St. Patrick’s Day parade canceled due to Republican anti-DEI law, sparking outrage | Florida

A Florida mayor is working to save his city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade after it was canceled to comply with a new Republican law banning municipalities from holding events purporting to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).

The state’s far-right Gov. Ron DeSantis in April signed the law that will take effect Jan. 1, prompting the city of Delray Beach, near Fort Lauderdale, to announce it was abandoning next year’s popular Irish holiday, which regularly draws tens of thousands of visitors, as well as its Pride event.

The restrictions imposed by the new state law, the city said in a statement, “include certain programs and activities designed or implemented with reference to race, sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Delray officials determined they were “legally prohibited from organizing, funding or promoting these events in 2027.”

The decision to scrap St. Patrick’s Day and Pride events angered residents and local business owners who missed out on what is traditionally one of the most lucrative weekends of the year.

Tom Carney, the mayor of Delray Beach, said in a Facebook post that he had received many messages from people outraged by the cancellations. He said he was working “feverishly” with city officials to find a way to restore the March celebration with private funding.

“The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is not just a parade. It is ingrained in the DNA of the Delray Beach community,” he said.

“I have 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 would like to announce that the city is working feverishly with multiple entities to ensure that the 2027 St. Patrick’s Day Parade goes ahead as planned!”

Carney said he could not yet give details but would provide regular updates. “For those who live, work and play in Delray, we want the Delray Beach St. Patrick’s Day Parade to stay,” he wrote.

The DEI Act, officially known as Florida Senate Bill 1134, was part of a wave of right-wing legislation passed by Florida’s large Republican majority during the last full year of DeSantis’ term as governor.

Other extremist DEI measures passed during DeSantis’ eight years in the governor’s mansion include efforts to ban drag shows, restrict LGBTQ+ rights, and end DEI programs at state colleges and universities.

Other Florida cities are evaluating their positions, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported, but so far no other events have been canceled.

The new law does not apply to events held on federal holidays celebrating or promoting ethnic diversity, including Martin Luther King Day in January, Juneteenth or Indigenous Peoples Day in October.