New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has said that he will continue his boycott against New York’s yearly St Patrick’s Day parade until it includes LGBT people.

The parade, which attracts upwards of a million tourists every year, does not allow openly gay people to march. De Blasio became the first New York Mayor in over 20 years not to attend when he boycotted it in March this year.

De Blasio spoke out while serving as Grand Marshall of Brooklyn Pride together with his wife Chirlane McCray, “When it comes to the question of parades, you will see Chirlane at this parade or me at this parade, but you will not see us at a parade that excludes members of the LGBT community”.

The Mayor concluded by commending the City Council Carlos Menchaca, who is the first openly gay councilman in the history of Brooklyn.