A gay member of the City Council wept at the Irish Consulate Thursday during an announcement that gay and lesbian groups would be allowed to march under their own banner in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Queens), who has been pushing the change for years, said it was long overdue. “Today is a day of reconciliation and healing for us. And that’s why it’s so emotional for all of us,” he said.

As a result of the shift, Mayor de Blasio has said he will march in the parade for the first time.

The exclusion of gay groups had been a contentious issue for years.