Is a parade a form of expression?
According to a recent Supreme Court decision, it is. Last Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that the private organizers of Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade have a constitutional right to exclude homosexual marchers who promote a message of gay pride.
The decision was based on two factors. First, the court defined a parade as “a form of expression” and not just a march.
Second, it said the parade’s organizers, the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, is a private – not a public – group. That’s important, because the freedom-of-expression rights of private groups are protected under the first amendment of the Constitution. And that right includes rejecting marchers with messages a particular group doesn’t agree with.
The court felt if the parade was organized by the government or another public group, excluding homosexuals would be a violation of their free speech rights.
