Posted on 03/15/2014 8:34:48 AM PDT by raccoonradio
The fight over Southie’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade got frosty yesterday, with Boston Beer Co. pulling its longtime sponsorship from the parade over the organizers’ refusal to let gay veterans march — and one Southie bar fighting back with a vow to boycott the brew.
“Sam Adams doesn’t support South Boston. They don’t want to support veterans like my father and uncle, so they can go sell their beer elsewhere,” said Tommy Flaherty Jr., a lifelong Southie resident whose father and uncle own the landmark Cornerstone Pub & Restaurant on West Broadway.
Flaherty Jr. said he and his father, Thomas Flaherty Sr., 70, and his uncle John Flaherty, 81, were “taken aback” when they learned yesterday afternoon from reading bostonherald.com that the brewing behemoth pulled its sponsorship, so they decided not to sell Sam Adams indefinitely.
“(Boston Beer Co. has) no problem taking the money from the people drinking at the bars along the parade route,” Flaherty Jr. said, adding he has no qualms with gay people. “We serve to everybody. I don’t have a problem with gay people, nor do my father and uncle.”
Boston Beer Co. could not be reached last night for comment on Cornerstone’s boycott. Representatives of the beer company — until yesterday listed as a “proud sponsor” on the parade’s website — have marched in past years, but announced yesterday morning they will not participate this year because the organizer, Allied Veterans War Council, is refusing to change its longtime policy of banning anyone from marching under a gay-rights banner.
“We have been participating in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade for nearly a decade,” Boston Beer Co. said in a statement. “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.”
The flap came after other supporters, including Westin Hotels and Gillette, distanced themselves from the parade. Yesterday, the parade’s website — which had featured dozens of business backers — erased its sponsorship page and replaced it with a message saying, “We’re updating our sponsors, thank you for your patience.”
Mayor Martin J. Walsh said last night he was “still hopeful” a deal can be made.
“We’ve gotten pretty close to an agreement here, and I think a lot of people thought this was the year we were going to have an agreement,” Walsh said. “I’m not giving up on that hope, we still have some time left. ... I have a glimmer of hope that we’re going to be able to work something out.”
As for Boston Beer Co. pulling its sponsorship, the mayor said, “They made a policy decision there, and I commend them for it.”
Ah, the story of the very interesting life of the Menino boy.
IOW, "Shut-uppa you face ... play like-a dum, take-a da money."
... and the cannoli.
You probably should re-read the thread post. The Sam Adams
people are the ones on the wrong side of this.
When you are dealing with people whose entire self-worth and sense of identity is defined by which orifice they use for copulation, it has everything to do with sexuality.
It's all they think about.
Too was bad, was lookin notha Worl Siree Cuffa hin.
I could rarely understand a single word that he uttered.
The article wasn’t so much poorly written as the younger Mr. Flaherty’s quote was misread. How do you misinterpret “They don’t want to support veterans like my father and uncle... ?”
Am enjoying a Sam Adams Cold Snap right now.
Will look forward to tasting Yuenglings Wheat beer though
I always thought Sam Adams Ads were Gay anyway
Ok. I get it. I read that thing ten times and STILL didn’t get it. Thank you.
You fall was pefed inglans.
they cannot hijack the St Patricks Day parade.
One: The USSC ruled on it. It is a private parade. It is to honor St. Patrick. That’s it. People think Catholicism is not alive and well, esp in the Northeast, but they are wrong. They don’t believe all this can be over one person, but it is. They think politics have taking over and there are a lot of subversive groups, but, no. It is all for St. Patrick.
Two: It’s a Catholic feast day, truly. It’s seven hundred years old. And there is no hatred allowed, nor necessary. St. Patrick is a Catholic Honoree. As Catholics are all inclusive, as are the Irish, that fact gets put aside for important worldly things like taking the day off to honor St. Patrick, having a party, recollecting in tradition, the music, the weather, the parade.
But it is Catholic. And as such, Catholic rules apply to the homosexual lobby, which are clearly, succinctly and logically right in the Catechism. There is no hatred for homosexuals, it’s not even mentioned. There is charity. they have a suffering which we pray they have comfort in. We all have some kind of suffering. But homosexual practices are not in keeping with God’s will, so condoning and approval are not ok.
ditto
I’ve only referred to my post #13 correction about TWENTY TIMES ON THIS THREAD.
On St Patty’s day there will be green beer.
Sam Adams has a purple, Queer Beer, for the day
The brewery is fos. Any veteran can march and in fact any group can march showing support for ST Patrick, veterans and the Irish heritage. You just can’t do it while wearing a dildo and grinding on the guy in front of you. And this is somehow controversial.
Yes. It’s an Irish thing... You wouldn’t understand
Hi, hon!
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