Beer Makers Pull Parade Partnerships
Beer and St. Patty's Day go hand in hand, but this year several notable sponsors will be absent along this year's most famous parade routes. Three notable brewers (and longtime sponsors) have pulled their sponsorships in response to the fact that lesbian and gay groups won't be allowed to march openly.
Late last week, Sam Adams announced it would pull its sponsorship of the Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade, while Heineken ended its sponsorship of the New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade. Over the weekend, Guinness dropped New York's St. Patrick's Day Parade over the issue.
Guinness released a statement yesterday:
Guinness has a strong history of supporting diversity and being an advocate for equality for all. 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 As this has not come to pass, Guinness has withdrawn its participation.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.
