In the wake of organizers’ controversial decision to not allow LGBT groups to march in the Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade this weekend, Boston Beer Company has decided to withdraw from the parade. Its decision came after a South Boston bar said it would no longer serve its main beer brand, Sam Adams, if the company continued to support the parade.
On Thursday, Club Cafe Boston announced on Facebook that it would no longer serve Sam Adams beers. “Therefore Club Cafe will no longer sell Sam Adams until such time as either the Parade organizers or change their position, or Sam Adams removes its support of the St. Patrick Day Parade,” the club owners said at the time.
However, Boston.com notes that Club Cafe said today that Boston Beer Co. has decided to pull out.
“Club Café wants to extend a heartfelt thank you to Boston Beer Company and Sam Adams for its decision to pull back its support of this years South Boston's St. Patrick's Day Parade and standing against any organization that practices discrimination,” the post reads. So, the bar will go back to sering Sam Adams.
The real issue at hand is that the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council will not allow the LGBT community to march in the parade. Although a 1995 Supreme Court decision says that they can exclude whoever they want, newly elected Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and other politicians have refused to march in the parade in protest. He tried to strike a deal with the group and advocacy group MassEquality, but the talks stalled.
The parade is set for Sunday.
image courtesy of Amazon