Officials in Delray Beach, Florida, have announced the cancellation of next year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the city’s Pride festival. The decision is tied to a new state law that, beginning Jan. 1, 2027, will bar local governments from funding and promoting initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The city said that after reviewing the law, it concluded that continuing to sponsor either event is not permitted. However, it did not rule out that the parade could still go ahead with the support of private organizers.
In an official statement posted on the Delray Beach website, city officials explained that the new regulations prevent them from funding, sponsoring and promoting the events in question after the new year.
City Manager Terrence Moore told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that the St. Patrick’s Day Parade could still take place if an independent private entity proposed to hold it.
“We are open to proposals in this regard,” he said. Asked whether other city events would meet the same fate, he replied that the matter remains to be determined.
The decision is reportedly based on SB 1134, signed in April by Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. The law prohibits local governments from funding, promoting and carrying out certain DEI initiatives, including through outside contractors. The restrictions apply, among other things, to programs related to ethnic origin, sexual orientation and gender identity.
The law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and provides for penalties for officials who violate its provisions.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade has been held in Delray Beach since 1968 and over the decades has become one of the largest events of its kind in South Florida.
Editor: JŁ
Source: Słoneczne Radio
