Sam Adams pulls sponsorship of Boston St. Patrick’s parade for excluding gays

[William769]

BOSTON — The maker of Sam Adams beer announced Friday that it is withdrawing its sponsorship of Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day parade because organizers exclude gay groups.

Boston Beer Co.’s decision came a day after a bar in Boston’s South End said it would no longer serve Sam Adams beer because of the brewer’s affiliation with the parade, which is scheduled for Sunday.

Mayor Martin Walsh and U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch have been trying to broker a deal that would have allowed a gay group to march, but those negotiations broke down.

“We were hopeful that both sides of this issue would be able to come to an agreement that would allow everyone, regardless of orientation, to participate in the parade. But given the current status of the negotiations, we realize this may not be possible,” Boston Beer Co. said in its statement. “We share these sentiments with Mayor Walsh, Congressman Lynch and others and therefore we will not participate in this year’s parade.”

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2014/03/sam-adams-pulls-sponsorship-of-boston-st-patricks-parade-for-excluding-gays/

[cui bono]

1. It's so great to see so much public support for LGBT these days.

I hope it feels like the tipping point has been reached to those in the community, it certainly puts a smile on my face to read these stories.

Still a long way to go but things seem to be on a roll!

[William769]

2. Agreed.

[LibGranny]

3. guess I'll start drinking Sam Adams!

[Vashta Nerada]

4. Awesome!

[alp227]

5. corret me if i'm wrong but i thought there was a "don't ask don't tell" policy in place?

where Equality Mass was allowed to march as long as they keep sexual orientation/politics out of it? I listen to Here and Now & other NPR shows on WBUR online and have heard the parade story on the WBUR local news.

[William769]

6. They threw that out the window last I heard.

Haters gonna hate.

[pintobean]

7. Rec

Last edited Sat Mar 15, 2014, 04:21 PM - Edit history (1)

[William769]

8. Apt smiley!

[Zorra]

9. Recommend.

One reason to only drink made in USA craft beers is because almost all of the craft breweries are owned by liberals. Another reason is that US craft beers are the best beers and ales in the world.

[frylock]

26. word up!

[Lost_Count]

10. Who are the negotiations between?

If it's the city, who I think it is, under what grounds are they excluding them?

[canoeist52]

28. Allied War Veterans Council

"The organizers of the parade, the Allied War Veterans Council, have excluded gays and lesbians since the 1995 landmark Supreme Court ruling Hurley v. Irish-American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston upheld the group's efforts to keep gays and lesbians from marching."

http://www.masslive.com/news/boston/index.ssf/2014/03/catholic_school_pulls_band_fro.html

[SidDithers]

31. Holy fuck. This is so damn stupid...

I'm going to repost this article as an OP.



Sid

[11 Bravo]

11. Filthy capitalist robber-baron corporatist bastards! Wait ... shit ... never mind.

[Starry Messenger]

12. Good.

I'm Irish and these anti-gay idiots embarrass me.

[bigwillq]

13. Good for Sam Adams.

K and R

[geek tragedy]

14. .

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/brewdog-launches-not-gays-beer-3115213

“Hello My name Is Vladimir. I am a bareback double IPA. Gasp, as I ride semi-naked on horseback through the Siberian tundra and straight down your throat. I am 100% hetero and will pass laws to prove it. Drinking me gives you the energy, ignorance and dogmatism required to shoot a deer (with your top off), go river fishing (with your top off) and pass internationally denounced, discriminatory legislation (top optional) before you’ve even had your caviar breakfast. I contain performance enhancing limonnik berries – power only to be harnessed by those engaging with the opposite sex, of course

From Russia, without love
Vlad
Warning: may contain traces of sarcasm and protest.”

[William769]

15. Perfect!

[City Lights]

16. Well done, Sam Adams! nt

[oldandhappy]

17. I thot LGBT folk were in all parades

these days. What is happening? I live in CA so am out of touch with the last century, smile. Good for Sam Adams.

Crikey. Well, Sam Adams will get a ton of free space on this move. And Boston -- come on, catch up, you are better than this -- to borrow a quote.

[pnwmom]

18. Here's a suggestion.

I wonder if the organizers of the Gay Pride parades have ever thought about having marchers parade with signs noting their ethnic group -- kind of the reverse of people marching as LGBT in the St. Patrick's Day parade.

I think it could be enlightening to emphasize the ethnic/racial diversity among gay people.

[William769]

19. I can't speak for all only myself but heres why I never thought of that.

I don't see ethnic/racial, I only see the LGBT as a family. We celebrate diversity in our daily lives.

This is of course is just my opinion.

[pnwmom]

20. And yet,

couldn't the people celebrating their Irishness say the same thing? "This isn't a parade about orientation, we're all one big Irish family celebrating St. Patrick's Day"?

My gay Irish father marched in lots of St. Patrick's day parades, but it was in the days before there were LGBT signs, so that wasn't an issue for him.

[William769]

21. You miss the point completely.

The difference I have never heard of any LGBT parade barring someone for their ethnicity like these bigots have.

I don't know why your passive aggressive stance on this is warranted and frankly I don't care. I'm all for diversity, I'll leave the hate to the other people. This will be my last response on this subject with you.

[pnwmom]

22. Please wait -- I've never heard of anyone being barred for being gay. That would be terrible.

I thought the issue was the signage.

When I was a kid, I remember marchers under signs by county -- "County Mayo" "County Cork," etc. If there are other groups now, like "Veterans," or "Women", etc., then I agree that LGBT should be able to march under their sign, too.

But if the parades are still by county only it seems to me to be comparable to Gay pride parades not separating by ethnic/racial groups.

[seveneyes]

34. I have not verified, but I was told the parade was open to all groups and only the LGBT were barred

If that is true, then it is certainly wrong not to let them march. I admit to not knowing the full history of the parade.

[pnwmom]

35. I agree, if there are other non-geographical groups with signs, then they should

be able to march with theirs, too.

[FreeState]

40. They do and have for years - they even have separate events that all are invited too

We have one huge pride festival here and several other pride events throughout the year sponsored by other groups (Black Pride, Hispanic Pride etc. they all march as such in the parade too).

[pnwmom]

42. Great! I haven't seen that before, but it has been a while

since I've been to one.

[TeamPooka]

23. Good for Sam Adams

[tavernier]

24. Really? REALLY?

Good for them! My favorite beer now!

[frylock]

25. ouch

[DesertDiamond]

27. Awesome! I'll show appreciation by having a Sam Adams Boston Lager on St. Paddy's Day!

[RKP5637]

29. Great !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Cha]

30. WooHooT!

Good on ya, Sam Adams!

[SidDithers]

32. DU rec...nt

Sid

[sheshe2]

33. My Favorite is Sam Adams Boston Ale~

I am glad they pulled their sponsorship. It saddens me that Boston backed out of the negotiations.

You will seldom if ever hear me dis Boston or Massachusetts. However the people that are running this need to remember the bigotry toward the Irish...

Anti-Irish sentiment or Hibernophobia may refer to or include persecution, discrimination, hatred or fear of the Irish as an ethnic or national group, whether directed against Ireland in general or against Irish immigrants and their descendants in the Irish diaspora.

It is traditionally rooted in the medieval period, and is also evidenced in Irish immigration to other countries like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Anti-Irish feeling can include both social and cultural discrimination within the island of Ireland itself, such as sectarianism or ethno-political conflicts in The Troubles of Northern Ireland.

Discrimination and racism towards Irish Travellers, an Irish minority group, is evident in both Ireland and the United Kingdom.Such racism is open and can be compared to that experienced by the Irish diaspora in the 19th century, with the hanging of signs in private establishments in Ireland stating "No Travellers" in the same style as "No Irish Need Apply". The European Parliament Committee of Enquiry on racism and xenophobia found them to be amongst the most discriminated-against ethnic groups in Ireland.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Irish_sentiment

Thank you for the OP William, however much it saddens me.

[William769]

36. I have no problem with the Irish

In fact I praise their heritage & struggles. But I do have a problem with the people in charge of this parade.



P.S. I made a heartfelt article, that I'm sure your going to love.

[sheshe2]

38. I will take a look~

Lol.

I have my headphones on and am listening to Disk1. My favorites!

I know you have no problem with the Irish, it's the people running it. I'm part Irish, actually I am a mutt. Lot's of bloodlines running through me~

[William769]

39. That whole disk set is my favorite!

Good thing I have unlimited bandwidth!

[pinboy3niner]

37. I'll drink to that!

[Lunabelle]

41. I'll second that drink,

and raise you another!