BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) – The St. Patrick's Day parade in Southie is on Sunday and time is running out for Mayor Marty Walsh to resolve a standoff over gays marching openly, and a major sponsor has tapped out, which has a local veteran and bar owner cutting that company off.
"They can take their float out and they can take their Sam Adams out of my place," said Tom Flaherty, owner of Cornerstone Pub.
If you attend Cornerstone Pub in Southie on St. Patrick's Day weekend, don't expect to be served Sam Adams.
Flaherty, a Vietnam veteran, is fired up that the Boston beer company has pulled out of the parade because organizers did not reach an agreement to allow members of the gay community to march. The company has taken part in the parade for years, but a statement issued Friday said it stands "with Mayor Walsh, Congressman Lynch, and other community leaders in our decision not to participate in this year's parade, but will continue our strong support of the Boston community."
To Flaherty, it's a major blow to veterans who need the monetary support of Sam Adams as a sponsor. And he's taking issue with that, not whether or not gays should be able to march in the parade.
"They could just jump in line with the rest of us, what's the difference," he said.
But for Mass Equality, a statewide gay rights group, there is a big difference. They want to be able to march openly, something parade sponsors initially allowed, but the offer was rescinded after organizers claimed Mass Equality lied in its application about the number of veterans who would march, as a ploy to participate in the event.
Mass Equality sent back a letter with signatures of 12 gay veterans, but the group hasn't heard from parade organizers in over a week and they are pretty convinced they will not be marching.
"If we hear something, great, but at this point we're about two days out and I think logistically it would be very difficult to organize the folks that would be marching to change their schedules and make themselves available," Kara Coredini, executive director of Mass Equality said.
Flaherty claims he doesn't care who marches, but he is prepared to cut Sam Adams off for good if they don't show.
"If there's no float in that parade, they'll be no foam in those taps," he said.
Walsh said he plans to make one final attempt to find middle ground between the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, which sponsors the parade, and Mass Equality.
He has also said he will not march in the parade unless Mass Equality marches, but he will attend the annual St. Patrick's Day breakfast and he may also go to a couple of parties in South Boston.
When parade organizers were asked for comment on all of this, they would only say that they are still working on things.
Cox Media Group
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