Bisexual woman, 23, crowned Miss Staten Island is BANNED from borough’s St. Patrick’s Day parade

A young woman who was crowned Miss Staten Island will not be allowed to march in the borough’s St. Patrick’s Day parade after she came out as bisexual.

Madison L’Insalata, 23, and her fellow beauty queens have been told by parade organizers that safety concerns preclude them from taking part in the event scheduled for Sunday.

L’Insalata told the New York Post on Saturday that she planned to march in Sunday’s parade while wearing rainbow colors to support the LGBTQ community.

‘There’s no rule against me wearing a rainbow,’ said L’Insalata.

‘I want people to see the colors and ask questions.’

L’Insalata’s plan to wear the colors was a form of protest over the decision by parade organizers to ban the Pride Center of Staten Island, an LGBTQ advocacy group.

The Staten Island parade is the only St. Patrick’s Day event in the five boroughs that continues to bar LGBTQ organizations. 

Madison L’Insalata, 23, who was recently crowned Miss Staten Island, has been barred from marching in the borough’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, which is taking place on Sunday

L’Insalata on Saturday revealed in a newspaper interview that she is bisexual

She had planned to march in the parade while wearing rainbow colors to support the LGBTQ community

The parade in Staten Island is being boycotted by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and other borough leaders due to the longstanding policy of banning groups like the Pride Center of Staten Island (whose members are seen in the above undated file photo)

For years, the organization has not been allowed to take part in the parade under its own banner.

Parade organizers have kept the group out because they said it does not adhere to the teachings of the Catholic Church.

After L’Insalata revealed her sexual orientation, Larry Cummings, the parade organizer, called the head of the Staten Island beauty pageant which crowned L’Insalata and informed him that she would not be allowed to march.

Miss Richmond County’s Outstanding Teen, Victoria Montouri, 17, has also been barred from the event, according to the Post.

Two other beauty queens – Miss Staten Island Outstanding Teen, Angelica Mroczek and Miss Richmond County Gabrielle Ryan – already announced their decision to boycott the parade because of the gay ban.

Parade organizers claimed that L’Insalata was being banned due to concerns for her safety

The issue has become so fraught politically that high-profile figures like New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, and Staten Island Borough President James Oddo, a Republican, have also skipped the parade in protest of the gay ban.

House Rep. Matt Rose, New York State Senator Diane Savino, and City Councilwoman Debi Rose, all Democrats, have also vowed to stay away in protest of the policy.

The Pride Center has asked the Archdiocese of New York to intervene and allow the group to participate in the parade, but so far it has declined to do so.

In 2014, the organizers of New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day parade dropped a decades-long ban on LGBTQ groups.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Archdiocese of New York for comment.

‘None of them can march,’ said Jim Smith, the executive director of the Miss Staten Island Scholarship pageants.

Smith was the one who received the phone call from Cummings on Saturday night.

‘He was not to be bargained with – you can’t talk to him.’

Smith said Cummings claimed that L’Insalata was being kept away from the parade ‘for safety reasons.’

He was not convinced.

‘What can happen to her?’ Smith said.

‘I don’t think anyone can harm her. I’m very disappointed, though I’m not surprised.

‘I know they’re very strong in their beliefs.’

Earlier this month, Cummings, who is the parade president of the Ancient Order of the Hibernians, defended his decision to maintain the ban against the Pride Center.

He told the Staten Island Advance: ‘Here’s the deal, it’s a non-sexual identification parade and that’s that, no, they are not marching.’

When asked if the Ancient Order of Hibernians would ever allow the Pride Center to march in future parades, he responded: ‘Don’t try to keep asking a million friggin’ questions, OK?’

‘I was really looking forward to being there and having a discussion and now there won’t be,’ L’Insalata told the New York Post when asked about the decision to ban her from the parade

‘The fact of the matter is that’s what it is, OK? And that’s that.’

The Ancient Order of Hibernians is the Irish Catholic fraternal order that is organizing the parade in Staten Island.

DailyMail.com has reached out to the Ancient Order of the Hiberians for comment. 

L’Insalata told the Post that she was shocked by the ban.

‘This is definitely a curveball,’ she said.

‘I was really looking forward to being there and having a discussion and now there won’t be.

‘It’s sad this had to happen. I thought I was doing something good.

‘You want to be part of the change.’

When asked if she was concerned for her safety if she was allowed to march, L’Insalata said that at times there can be ‘rowdy people’ at the event.

‘People can be heated,’ she said.

‘It’s frustrating,’ she said.

‘I wanted to be in the parade and it’s unfortunate we can’t have a disagreement and still be in the same place.

‘They’re removing all discussion by not allowing me to be there.’

Instead of taking part in the parade, L’Insalata will be at the ‘Rainbow Run’ – an alternative event held simultaneously to honor the Pride Center.

When asked if she regrets her decision to reveal her bisexuality, she said: ‘I said what I have to say.

‘I still think that my message got across and that’s most important.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk