Brendan Fay

Brendan Fay- Teacher, film maker, marriage officiant & activist.

Brendan comes from Drogheda in Ireland. He came to study and fell in love with New York.

Brendan has campaigned for immigration reform, civil marriage, HIV/AIDS awareness, inclusive parades, policing reform and human rights.

In 1994 he founded the Irish LGBT group Lavender and Green Alliance. In 1996 he co-founded Irish Aids Outreach (IAC) to break the silence around AIDS. Brendan was a leader in efforts to include openly LGBT Irish in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade. In 1999, he began the St. Pat's for All parade in Queens.

March 17, 2016 was historic when, after 25 years, Lavender and Green Alliance marched with its banner in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade.

With activist Jesús Lebrón in 2003 Brendan co-founded The Civil Marriage Trail Project, bringing couples across borders for legal marriage including Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer whose US Supreme Court case (2013) led to the overturning of DOMA.

Brendan has been involved in Polish LGBTQ politics and activism as a result of President Lech Kaczynski’s March 17, 2008 national address denouncing same-sex marriage using images of his wedding with Tom Moulton in Canada.

Brendan’s film work includes Remembering Mychal (2021) and Saint of 9/11 (2006) documentaries films about Fr. Mychal Judge, the FDNY Franciscan chaplain who died on Sept. 11, 2001. His award-winning film about pioneer priest John McNeill (1925-2015), Taking a Chance on God has been translated into Polish, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

Brendan was among the recipients of the Presidential Distinguished Service Award for the Irish Abroad presented by Irish President Michael