Ireland’s most famous brewer, Guinness, has withdrawn its sponsorship of New York’s annual St Patrick’s Day march after parade organisers refused to allow homosexual activists to march using pro-gay signs.
Threats
The beer company, which has been a key sponsor of the parade, announced its decision after “Stonewall Inn” in New York threatened to take its products off the shelves if it refused to drop its support of the annual celebrations.
Organisers of the parade, which draws over 200,000 participants each year, made it clear whilst activists were barred from carrying signs with pro-gay slogans, no homosexual individual or group was prohibited from joining the event.
Pressure
Last week, Heineken and Boston Beer Co also dropped their sponsorship of parades in Boston and New York after coming under pressure from bars in these areas over the same issue.
In a statement this month, South Boston Allied War Veterans Council said: “We are approached by all types of groups, some of which try to destroy the integrity of not only this parade, but our faith, this town and our country.
“We invite all to join us to celebrate this historic event, but we must maintain our guidelines to insure the enjoyment and public safety of our spectators.”
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