Irish brewer Guinness, whose popular Guinness “Stout” beer has for years flowed freely at St. Patrick’s Day Parades across America, has pulled its sponsorship of the New York City’s St. Patrick’s Parade following intense pressure from homosexual activists. MSNBC reported that organizers of the NYC St. Pat’s Parade forbids homosexual parade participants from identifying themselves as “gay” as they march on the parade route — a policy that prompted the “legendary” and overtly pro-homosexual Stonewall Inn to threaten to drop Guinness beer from its shelves as of March 17, “following the beer company’s decision to stand by its sponsorship of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” reported MSNBC. “Heineken also withdrew its sponsorship.”
That threat, picked up by other homosexual activist groups, apparently prompted Guinness to do a rapid about-face in an attempt to appease homosexual activists. “Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all,” the company assured in a statement justifying its decision not to participate in the parade. “We were hopeful that the policy of exclusion would be reversed for this year’s parade. As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation.” The company promised to “work with community leaders” so that homosexual individuals and groups would be allowed to draw more attention to themselves at future St. Patrick’s Day Parades.
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One such homosexual group, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), applauded the brewer’s announcement, claiming that by caving in to gay activist demands Guinness had somehow “sent a strong message to its customers and employees” concerning supposed discrimination. Bemoaned GLAAD’s top leader Sarah Kate Ellis: “As a gay mom who has fond memories of the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, it saddens me that I can’t give those same memories to my own kids because my family isn’t welcome” — to overtly self-identify as homosexual at the New York City parade. “Hopefully,” added Ellis, “as parade organizers realize that anti-LGBT discrimination is not supported by sponsors, or many Irish New Yorkers, they’ll see that families like mine should be part of the celebration.”
Among the “many Irish New Yorkers” to back out of the parade because of the decision by organizers not to allow a homosexual-activist takeover was New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who said he would boycott the event because of the policy banning “LGBT Pride” and other overtly pro-homosexual signs among parade participants. MSNBC said it was the first time in 20 years that a New York City mayor had backed out of the parade. De Blasio promised that he would be “participating in a number of other events to honor the Irish heritage of this city, but I simply disagree with the organizers of that parade.”
Similarly, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh decided to back homosexual activists when the organizers of his city’s historic St. Patrick’s Day parade, the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, rejected a request from the group MassEquality to allow a team of homosexual service members to march in the parade with signs and t-shirts.
Walsh backed out of appearing at the March 16 parade, justifying his conspicuous absence by saying that “as mayor of the city of Boston, I have to do my best to ensure that all Bostonians are free to participate fully in the civic life of our city. Unfortunately, this year, the parties were not able to come to an understanding that would have made that possible.”
Walsh reportedly attempted to pressure the parade sponsors to change their minds, but the organizers wrote that the veterans would be allowed to participate only if they did not wear t-shirts or carry signs identifying themselves as homosexual. “It is our intention to keep this parade a family friendly event,” the organizers wrote. “We will not allow any group to damage the integrity of the historic event — or our reputation as a safe and fun filled day for all.”
Such a common-sense explanation was not sufficient for Walsh, homosexual activist groups, or for the Boston Beer Company, producer of the popular Sam Adams brew and a long-time participant in the Boston event. Like Guinness in New York City, the local brewer backed out of its corporate sponsorship of the event, which drew more than one million observers and participants, saying that while the company had participated in the parade for nearly a decade, this year it would follow the lead of Mayor Walsh, who caved in to the political pressure of groups desiring to use the parade to promote an aggressive homosexual agenda.
Fox News reported that one high-profile leader who planned to march in Monday’s New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade was Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny, “who defended himself against criticism over his decision earlier this week, saying, ‘The St. Patrick’s Day parade [in New York] is a parade about our Irishness and not about sexuality, and I would be happy to participate in it.’”
