Parades March on as Guinness Opts Out of St. Patrick's Day Celebrations
St. Patrick’s Day celebrations kicked off across the country this
morning, but New York City’s festivities went ahead with the notable
absence of iconic Irish beer maker Guinness, which withdrew its
sponsorship from the parade.
Controversy has swirled around this year’s Irish holiday festivities in
the Northeast, where a number of key sponsors have opted out after
organizers barred LGBT participants from openly marching and carrying
pro-gay signs.
Guinness, which had been the last remaining major beer sponsor to hold
out, announced this weekend that it was pulling out of its sponsorship
deal, saying:
“Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an
advocate for equality for all. 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to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation. We will continue to
work with community leaders to ensure that future parades have an
inclusionary policy.”
The move came after Boston Beer Co., which owns the Sam Adams brand, cut
ties with the Boston parade and Heineken announced Friday it would also
withdraw support.
The Stonewall Inn in New York, considered the seeding ground for the gay
rights movement in the United States, had made the decision to take
Guinness off the shelf, but said it would proudly put the stout back on
tap in the tavern after the brewery’s announcement.
Political tensions have been building in New York since Mayor Bill de
Blasio chose to become the first mayor in decades to shun the parade
over gay rights issues, while Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh declared he
would not partake in his city's Irish day celebrations Sunday for the
same reason.
The decision by the companies to withdraw participation from the parades
drew strong support from gay rights advocacy groups including New York
City-based organization Irish Queers and GLAAD.
"Guinness sent a strong message to its customers and employees:
discrimination should never be celebrated," GLAAD CEO & President
Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement Sunday. "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.
Ford Motor Co. remains the last major U.S. sponsor involved in the parades, according to GLAAD.
The vehicle manufacturer said in statement it is involved in a range of events and organizations as well as the parade.
"No one person, group or event reflects Ford’s views on every issue.
What we can tell you is that Ford is proud of its inclusive policies,"
the statement read. "Every member of the Ford team is valued, and we
provide employee benefits regardless of race, gender or sexual
orientation."
The organizers of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City did not responded to ABC News’ request for comment today.
The AP contributed to this report.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered