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, yes, another gay veteran.
Of what, I have no idea.
Once the organizers let the vampire in the home, there will be no stopping it.
I’m not sure I like your “innuendoes”. LOL
“Honi soit qui mal y pense,” as Whitey useta say.
Go back and reread the article, and you'll see what I mean. I had to read it twice, to sort it out.
Oh, and BTW, even the thought of a gay “pride” parade makes me nauseous — but, I have nothing against gay people standing around a bar, fully clothed, and minding their own business while enjoying a brew. There's a difference.
Flaherty might put up a sign, with an arrow pointing to the South End.
“Honi soit qui mal y pense,” as Whitey useta say.
I wonder how many gay veterans there are in Southie that could actually get a contingent together?
Oooops. My bad. Never mind.
yo!
Did NARAL ever insist on marching in a St. Paddy’s Day parade? Friendly Pro-Abort Daughters of Erin, or some such? It’d be no less ridiculous to contemplate than this group.
In my opinion Sam Adams fouled up badly, with this move.
Bigtime.
I concur fully. Leaving policy aside, it’s just a poor business decision. So ONE gay bar in Boston decides they’ll boycott Sam Adams beer? No one outside Boston noticed.
But, even if every gay bar in the country decided to boycott Sam Adams does that offset alienating beer-drinking Irishmen? Somehow, I don’t think the numbers add up.
Save it for your unGodly Pride events; Saint Patrick’s Day parades are hardly the time or place to be flaunting yourselves.
Guess when Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, he sent them to Boston, West Hollyweird, & San Fransicko...then they sent to worst on to DC.
I second this statement for your comment:
“You probably should re-read the thread post. The Sam Adams people are the ones on the wrong side of this. “
There may have been other bars we haven’t heard about that also
threatened to stop selling Sam Adams besides
Club Cafe, I think the name is (and then this place
in South Bos that is boycotting Sam because
they pulled out)..possibly Sam Adams got a bunch
of emails and facebook posts from clueless
liberals and they didn’t want to lose business.
MSM says “organizers of parade ban gays”.
They either don’t add the bit about the court ruling, or people don t listen. Then when Sam Adams drops support, people flood FB and Twitter with “Good for Sam Adams!” They don’t know whole story or it doesn’t fit their agenda.
My response left on their corporate ‘contact us’ website:
To whom it may concern,
Given your recent efforts to bend over before the small, but vocal minority of mentally ill people who characterize themselves as ‘gay’, I trust that you will enjoy the continued sodomization that your sales will receive as the normal among us cease to buy your products.
Exactly what needs to happen...when the sodomites start whining; the ‘normals’ need to slam them back; twice as hard. Money talks...simple as that.
I've been in Soviet Red England too long...I could read that sentence with no trouble at all...
Watch for their new limited edition 'Lavender Lager'.
Now you’re talking. My choice.
Commercial: After a long, hard day I thirst to suck down a Sammy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.