Backbones seem to be in short supply these days.
The NY Post:
Whose gonna ditch the parade next, leprechauns?
In the what may be the biggest blow yet to the world’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Irish makers of Guinness beer announced Sunday that they’re dropping their sponsorship of Monday’s Manhattan event because of its organizers’ policy banning groups from marching under banners identifying themselves as gay.
“Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all,” the company said in a statement posted Sunday night on the Web site of the GLAAD gay-activist group Sunday night.
“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 As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation.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.”
Guinness beer has long been synonymous with all things Ireland, and was targeted by gay-rights activists Sunday, the eve of Monday’s 11 a.m. parade up Fifth Avenue.
The legendary Stonewall Inn gay bar in Greenwich Village announced it would dump barrels of Guinness from its roof in protest of the beer maker’s participation in the parade.
After Guinness, owned by the massive liquor multinational Diageo, announced it would pull out of the parade, the bar called off the protest.
“It’s amazing how the times are changing,” Carmine Tzavis, a Stonewall bartender, said. “Thirty years ago, gay people had to hide in fear, and now look what we can accomplish.’’
Gay leaders tipped back a pint in celebration.GLADD President Sarah Kate Ellis issued a statement saying, “Guinness sent a strong message to its customers and employees: Discrimination should never be celebrated.
HT: FRA