No, no, no. This article must be very badly written. Every other post on here has misunderstood it.
A. Veterans are the parade organizers.
B. The parade organizers do not want contentious political issues in the parade; hence, no gay-rights groups are allowed to march. If a veteran or anyone else is gay, they can march -- just not under a banner of supporting gay rights.
C. Sam Adams Beer (Boston Beer Company) pulled its financial sponsorship because the veterans would not allow gay-rights marchers.
D. The bar owner, whose father and uncle are veterans (and presumably are not gay), said they would no longer carry Sam Adams Beer because the Sam Adams brewery is refusing to support a parade organized by veterans.
Indeed like my example of what-if-Westboro-Baptist-wanted-to-march-in-gay-pride-parade. Sure they can as long as they follow the rules of a private organization...no signs, banners, yelling political slogans. No doubt WBC would say they’d refuse to march if those are the rules. WBC wants to spread their message. So does Mass Equality. That’s why the vets have banned them —IF THEY carry banners, signs, etc.—and have every right to do so. Bar objected to Boston Beer Company’s kneejerk reaction.
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... ?”
Ok. I get it. I read that thing ten times and STILL didn’t get it. Thank you.