Citing support for gay rights, the mayors of New York City and Boston opted out of St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio will become the first mayor in decades to sit out the traditional march Monday because parade organizers have refused to let participants carry pro-gay signs. On Sunday, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, the city’s first Irish-American mayor in 20 years, did not march in his city’s parade after talks broke down that would have allowed a gay group to march.
And three major beer manufacturers dropped sponsorship of St. Patrick’s Day Parades — Sam Adams pulled out of Boston’s parade, which took place Sunday, and Heineken and Guinness yanked their support of the New York City parade, slated for Monday. Both parades are allowing gay groups to march but are banning signage about sexual orientation.
Guinness announced Sunday that it would withdraw its support for New York City’s parade, saying it was an “advocate for equality for all.”
Read more: Al Jazeera
