Massachusetts passed marriage equality ten years ago. You would think that this progressive thinking state that’s always shown America what true democracy looks like would not still be dealing with homophobic anti gay behavior by the religious right but every St Patrick's Day the mud flies. Every year we are reminded what hate looks like when the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council who run the St Patrick's Day Parade
in South Boston excluded LGBT Americans, LGBT Irish Americans & LGBT Veterans from openly marching in their annual parade. However an interesting strategy in this evolutionary struggle has occurred. Our friends at
Club Café the largest & oldest LGBT Restaurant & Bar in Boston let the Boston Beer Company, which manufactures Sam Adams, that they would no longer serve Sam Adams Beer due to the brewer's association with the parade. After being bombarded by social media Boston Beer Company has done the right thing deciding not to participate in the upcoming South Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade stating, "We have been participating in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade for nearly a decade & have also supported the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast year after year. We’ve done so because of the rich history of the event & to support veterans who have done so much for this country. 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. We share these sentiments with Mayor Walsh, Congressman Lynch & others & therefore we will not participate in this year’s parade. We will continue to support Senator Linda Dorcena Forry & her St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. We wish her all the best in her historic stewardship of this tradition." Updates to Come…:)
More On Boston's Anti Gay St. Patrick’s Day Parade
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3 comments:
We need more businesses to stand up to the wrongdoers and those who perpetuate intolerance and injustice and let them know it's not right. Nothing like hurting them in their pockets to apply pressure to do the right thing.
Bravo to Boston Beer Company and thanks for reporting this story!
We need more businesses to stand up to the wrongdoers and those who perpetuate intolerance and injustice and let them know it's not right. Nothing like hurting them in their pockets to apply pressure to do the right thing.
Bravo to Boston Beer Company and thanks for reporting this story!
From the beginning of this discussion, MassEquality and the LGBT community were clear that we would march openly and honestly or not at all. It may be hard for people who are not LGBT to appreciate exactly how important it is for LGBT people to be open about who we are and how deeply wounding, and indeed insulting, it is to be asked not to be too open.
It is extraordinary that we are having this conversation at all, in a state that is celebrating a decade of marriage equality this year and has been on the vanguard of LGBT rights for decades.
MassEquality has received hundreds of e-mails from people around the world – even from Ireland, where we’re told the St. Patrick’s Day parades are fully inclusive of LGBT people – bemoaning how the annual parade “debate” continues to be an embarrassment for the great City of Boston – as it is for our neighbors in New York.
LGBT veterans in uniform marching behind their colors - a rainbow flag - would only instill in onlookers pride in and thanks for their service to this country. No other group has been asked to march without their standard – not the police, firefighters, or the Irish. Simply put, double standards do not represent progress.
Respectfully,
Grace Sterling Stowell, Executive Director, Boston Alliance of LGBTQ Youth (BAGLY, Inc.)
Lee Swislow, Executive Director, Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders
Deborah Peeples, Chair, Board of Directors, Greater Boston PFLAG
Julian Cyr, Chair, Massachusetts LGBTQ Youth Commission
Mason Dunn, Executive Director, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
Kara Coredini, Executive Director, MassEquality
Sue Hyde, Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
Beth Leventhal, Executive Director, The Network/la Red
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