The world’s largest beer company has threatened to pullback a $2,500 sponsorship of South Boston’s famed St. Patrick’s Day Parade if organizers do not allow a group of gay war veterans to march.
Anheuser-Busch InBev today said it would reconsider its support of the event after parade organizers, the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, voted 9-4 on Tuesday to exclude OUTVETS, a non-political organization dedicated to honoring the service of LGBTQ veterans.
“At Anheuser-Busch, we value equality and believe diversity enriches our workforce and our world,” an A-B spokesperson said via a statement. “We have been proud to support the LGBTQ community for more than 20 years, not only through our employment practices and marketing campaigns, but also through our associations with GLAAD and PRIDE events across the country. We are disappointed to learn that the OUTVETS, who have proudly served this country, have been denied entry to the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade. We are re-evaluating our participation in this event.”
A-B isn’t the only prominent name condemning the group’s decision. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh both said they would boycott the parade if members of OUTVETS were not allowed to participate.
“I will not tolerate discrimination in our city of any form,” Walsh said in a statement. “We are one Boston, which means we are a fully inclusive city. I will not be marching in the parade unless this is resolved. Anyone who values what our city stands for should do the same.”
This isn’t the first time South Boston’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade has come under fire for banning members of the LGBTQ community from the event. In 2014, Boston Beer Company cut ties with the parade due to the ongoing controversy over the inclusion of gay and lesbian marchers.
In 2015, the Council voted 5-4 in favor of allowing two LGBTQ groups, including OUTVETS, to participate in the parade. OUTVETS also marched in 2016.
In a press release posted to the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day website, however, the Allied Council characterized the latest controversy as a “rumor,” claiming that OUTVETS had not “officially” been notified that they would not be allowed to participate in the March 19 parade.
At issue is the OUTVETS logo, a rainbow flag, which parade organizers claim violates a rule prohibiting “the advertisement or display of one’s sexual orientation.”
The Council has planned an emergency session for Friday and will “reconsider” allowing members of OUTVETS to march, according to the Boston Globe.
One thing is for sure: If OUTVETS is not allowed to participate, the Allied War Veterans Council will miss out on $2,500 in ABI sponsorship money and parade-goers won’t get a chance to see the famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales. However, if the parade goes anything like previous years, Bostonians lining the route will get to see plenty of cosplayers donning their best Star Wars wardrobes and Ghostbusters getups while marching to the sweet sounds of John Williams and Ray Parker Jr.