Louis Flores of Connecting Rainbows is organizing an event that will create an LGBT presence at New York City’s Easter Day Parade. He says:

On Sunday, April 24th, we invite you to join other LGBT New Yorkers increasing our visibility in front of the Catholic Church to send a message that all Americans ought to live their lives free of hate and violence. Your courageous participation will help us communicate that LGBT civil rights should be a priorities to all American institutions, not just to Congress or to the Courts.

Don't worry, it's not a bunch of noisy, angry gays making new enemies. They are being very clear their intention is to be peaceful and respectful, Louis says:

It is important that everyone who participates in this procession recognizes we want to keep this a peaceful and respectful activity. Our standard is a standard of peace.

The intent is to draw attention to the violence, death and suicide that is sadly too often the effect of unchecked homophobia.

And the timing of this is very appropriate, with New York expected to take up marriage equality and the GENDA transgender non-discrimination bills this year, engaging Catholics respectfully and with pride is a good idea. New York Archbishop Timothy Nolan recently appeared on CBS's 60 Minutes and compared marriage equality to incest. The United States Conference of Bishops just sent a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development saying “USCCB Urges HUD Not to Include Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Among Protected Categories” that would be afforded non-discrimination protection in housing. The Archdiocese of Portland dropped well over a half million dollars to fight marriage equality in Maine in 2009 (even as they were simultaneously closing parishes for financial reason). The list goes on and on.

It's time for us to not be ashamed to say the hierarchy of Roman Catholic Church is one of the most serious impediment in the fight for LGBT rights. 

While is clear is the Catholic Church hierarchy is very actively engaged in the the political battle we're facing it also appears that the Church would also like to obscure this fact from the public view by hiding behind the front group National Organization for Marriage. An allegation that former NOM strategist turned marriage equality supporter, Louis Marinelli confirmed from his experience on the inside.

I am sharing this with you because I want you to realize that NOM is a small group of devoutly religious Catholics supported by a couple of undisclosed sources.

One reason the hierarchy would like to obscure their political meddling is because Church knows they are out of touch with its actual parishioners on the ground. Latest polling shows that Catholics support marriage equality by a margin of 63%. We are lucky that the actual parishioners are our allies. Our task is to engage them to engage their leadership.

I think LGBT people who show up can expect to be greeted warmly and engaged respectfully by their Catholic New York friends. The Church has actually done a good job in instilling a sense of the value of fighting for social justice among its followers. There are many points of pride in their history on that.

Unfortunately, the hierarchy of the Church has allowed its eyes to get clouded on the issue of social justice for LGBT people. And that's a shame. But when more parishioners attention is drawn to spoils of homophobia I have full faith the Catholics of America will no longer continue to tolerate the pointless, divisive, expensive activities the leadership has been engaging in.

LGBT participants intend to bring pictures of victims of LGBT hate crimes like Tyler Clementi, Seth Walsh and others. They will light a candle in St. Patrick's Cathedral in honor each of the victims.

A Facebook Event page is here as well.