While discussing New York City Councilwoman Christine Quinn's decision to boycott Manhattan's St. Patrick's Day parade due to the decision by the Ancient Order of Hibernians to ban the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization (ILGO) from marching, Fox News host Bill O'Reilly attacked Quinn, calling ILGO's potential participation in the parade “inappropriate.” O'Reilly asked, “Why doesn't Ms. Quinn and others who support her wise up?” Continuing, O'Reilly stated: “You have your Gay Day parade. You have your Stonewall celebration. You have your Halloween deal, OK? You don't need this.” O'Reilly also asserted, “I don't want these people intruding on a parade where little children are standing there, watching” for fear that children would ask “mommy, what does that mean?” O'Reilly falsely claimed that "[n]o Irish people are banned from marching in the parade," and likened ILGO's participation in the parade to wearing a shirt proclaiming “I'm queer” to a baptism. O'Reilly's comments came during the March 17 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor.

On the March 17 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, O'Reilly also discussed the issue, stating: "[A]nd then the parade leaders say, what are we next to have Irish prostitutes marching under their banner? You know, Irish hookers, here we are." Continuing with the analogy, O'Reilly parodied parade commentators and stated, “There they are, Tessie O'Shea and the girls. Making good money out there in the money ranch.”

Quinn, the first openly gay New York City council leader, unsuccessfully tried to negotiate with the Ancient Order of Hibernians to allow ILGO to participate in this year's parade. Defending the decision, parade organizer John Dunleavy reportedly told the Irish Times , “If an Israeli group wants to march in New York, do you allow Neo-Nazis into their parade? If African Americans are marching in Harlem, do they have to let the Ku Klux Klan into their parade? People have rights. If we let the ILGO in, is it the Irish Prostitute Association next?” Due to the Ancient Order of Hibernians' decision, Quinn decided not to personally participate in the parade.

From the March 17 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, with guest Lillian Glass, whose website describes her as an authority in “media psychology and communication”:

O'REILLY: In the “impact” segment tonight, once again this year, a gay person, New York City Councilwoman Christine Quinn, wanted to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade under a banner proclaiming her sexuality. And once again, she was denied, because the parade honors a saint and the Irish heritage and has nothing to do with anybody's sexuality. Such a display is deemed to be inappropriate.

The question: Why doesn't Ms. Quinn and others who support her wise up? Why don't they understand that?

[...]

GLASS: Well.

O'REILLY: It has nothing to do with anything other than honoring the Irish heritage and a saint.

GLASS: Right.

O'REILLY: So.

GLASS: But --

O'REILLY: Go ahead.

GLASS: But for some people, it's a way to express themselves. And I think for people who are gay and lesbian, what it does is it shows that there's an identity that they belong to something, that they may be Irish, that they may be gay. And, Bill, it may not just be sexuality. It may be also a lifestyle, an alternative lifestyle for them.

O'REILLY: OK.

GLASS: But they may feel that they want to come out.

O'REILLY: Well, they can come out on the Gay Day Parade or the Halloween parade. They have plenty of opportunities to do that. This is a saint. Don't you feel that that is inappropriate?

GLASS: Well, when you put it that way, I can see your point of view.

O'REILLY: Well, I'm glad you can, because I'm getting nervous. If you -- if Christine Quinn, who's Irish, and I like Christine Quinn, if she goes to a baptism, doctor, if one of her nieces or nephews are baptized, a baby, you don't walk into the church in the baptism with “I'm queer” on your shirt. It's inappropriate. It's a sacrament.

GLASS: That's absolutely correct.

O'REILLY: It's a church.

GLASS: I agree with you. Absolutely.

O'REILLY: This is a parade honoring a saint. It has nothing to do --

GLASS: You know, when -- Bill, when you put it that way, it makes so much sense, and I agree with you totally. But do a lot of people think that it's a holiday for a saint? I think most people think it's just a way to get out, to party, to express themselves --

O'REILLY: What's the name of the parade, doctor?

GLASS: -- to get drunk.

O'REILLY: Doctor, what's the name of the parade?

GLASS: St. Patrick's Day.

O'REILLY: OK, if you're not getting what the parade is honoring, I can't help you. What people do.

GLASS: No, you're absolutely correct.

O'REILLY: Right. Look, if Christine Quinn wants to go to a party after the parade and celebrate her gayness, her Irish gayness, whatever gayness she's happy about --

GLASS: Right, right.

O'REILLY: I don't have a problem with that. OK?

GLASS: Right.

O'REILLY: And there are plenty of opportunities for her to do that. But in the context of what the parade is, you don't see heterosexuals going out there proclaiming what they do in private. It doesn't happen. So what I'm trying to sell everybody, including you, is that the more this stuff happens, the worse it is for people who are proud to be homosexual.

GLASS: You know, when you put it that way, it makes a total amount of sense. Because normally you'd think it would help somebody's self-esteem. They can express themselves. But when you put it that way that it is to honor a saint, and sexuality isn't even involved, I see your point 1,000 percent.

O'REILLY: And do you understand -- and I hope all gay people watching right now understand how angry it makes people who are sympathetic to gays. Because I'm sympathetic to them. I want American homosexuals to be able to pursue happiness the same way heterosexuals are able to pursue happiness.

GLASS: Right.

O'REILLY: OK.

GLASS: And I'm very sympathetic to gays as well.

O'REILLY: Right. But I don't want these people intruding on a parade where little children are standing there, watching. And then they have to go mommy, “What does that mean?” OK? You have your holiday. You have your Gay Day parade. You have your Stonewall celebration. You have your Halloween deal, OK? You don't need this. Now you understand my point.

GLASS: Yes.

O'REILLY: I think 95 percent of the people watching me understand my point, but there are five who don't or won't. Is that a neurosis?

GLASS: Well, I don't know if it's a neurosis, but I think what it is is somebody really wanting to express themselves, and to come out and say, you know, look at me, accept me, make me a part of it. I want to be a part of it. And --

O'REILLY: But they can be a part of it.

GLASS: And they feel.

O'REILLY: No Irish people are banned from marching in the parade.

GLASS: No. As I said, when you state it that way, it makes total sense, Bill. It really does.

O'REILLY: All right. I just want people to understand that this thing has a tremendous backlash.

GLASS: You're right.

O'REILLY: It does not help gay Americans to do this. It does not help Christine Quinn to do this. Every situation in life has an appropriate way to handle it and an inappropriate way. And people ought to really understand that.

Doctor, we appreciate your time very much.

From the March 17 broadcast of Westwood One's The Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly:

O'REILLY: Kristine Quinn, lesbian city council member in New York, wanting to march in St. Patrick's Day parade. And she wanted to tell everybody she was a lesbian. And of course, the parade people said, look, it's a parade honoring a saint. OK, what you do in your own bedroom, Ms. Quinn, is nobody's business, and it's out of context in a parade honoring a saint.

OK, so you're not going to do that. And good. That's the right thing to do. Context is everything. You know, I mean -- and then the parade leaders say, what are we next to have Irish prostitutes marching under their banner? You know, Irish hookers, here we are. Hey, ladies and gentlemen, after the Marist College marching band, we have the Irish prostitute contingent from Nevada. There they are, Tessie O'Shea and the girls. Making good money out there in the money ranch.

You know, come on, it's ridiculous. Nobody's barring anybody from marching in the St. Patrick's Day parade, but what does your sexuality have to do with St. Patrick? Believe me, he doesn't want to hear about it.

These loons are never going to get it, and they're never going to understand. And we're going to talk about that because that's all -- you know, who supports that? The far left supports it. That's who is pushing this ridiculous agenda. It all ties in.