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Teamsters will pull out of South Boston parade unless gay veterans' group allowed back in
By adamg on Thu, 03/09/2017 - 10:33am
Teamsters Local 25 announced today that if a gay veterans' group can't march in the St. Patrick's parade in South Boston, then it will stay away as well.
The announcement comes as the board of the Allied War Veterans Council readies for an emergency meeting tomorrow on its Tuesday vote to bar OutVets from the parade. Following that vote, the parade lost its honorary leader, and several politicians and sponsors, including the South Boston Stop & Shop.
In a statement this morning, Teamsters Local 25 President Sean O'Brien said:
Today, Teamsters Local 25 is informing the St. Patrick’s Day parade committee, that we are no longer participating in this year’s parade unless OutVets is included in the line-up. Our Women's Committee has been proud to walk alongside our tractor trailer for the past several years, but if the organizers shut out certain organizations, the parade is no longer representative of the 11,000 members of Teamsters Local 25 and our families. I urge the committee to reconsider their decision to make the parade reflective of the city of Boston so that all can enjoy.
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Comments
A less surly parade in
A less surly parade in Southie? Surely they jest!
At this rate...
The parade is going to be reduced to those 9 lonely bigots on the council.
..and some of them..
...don't even live in South Boston. Can't believe those a-holes are ruining my community's name from Stoughton.
..and one of them isn't even a veteran. Sad, pathetic group this is.
Union scum. Oh, wait, um...
Union scum. Oh, wait, um... yay?
Teamsters Local 25 suddenly defending gay people?
Politics makes strange bedfellows. The same group that almost (and still may) bring down the Marty Walsh administration with despicable gay slurs, tire-slashings, threats and extortion, now dutifully follows Marty's lead and threatens to boycott the parade in support of gays? You can't make it up. I wonder if the feds are still monitoring Walsh and Local 25?
For the record, before the criticism begins, I believe the Allied War vets should have allowed Outvets to march.
but they were hurling
racial slurs and the like, slashing tires and intimidating folks FOR Marty Walsh, to get Union members hired for TV shows and Boston Calling (who did cave and hire some). Now they are not marching IN ACCORDANCE with Mahty's wishes. So it is safe to say the Teamsters and Marty are besties. Who do you think funds his campaign? They can stand shoulder to shoulder all the way to jail, or the unemployment line for all I care. No love for either of them.
Today's the day
I'm sure you've heard that a stopped clock is right twice a day. Fish is more of a stopped calendar, so for him it's once every seven years. Today's the day.
When someone does the right thing
I never throw a hissy fit and imagine they are doing it for the wrong reasons.
Good to hear
Fuck the 9 shitgabbons that are less culturally Irish than Ireland. Let the gay Veterans march!
gays marching in southie parade
ENOUGH!!!! Let 'em march. BUT WITH THE OTHER VETS and NOT under their own rainbow banner. Why should they be allowed to display their sexual preference in public? If they want to be "included" so badly, then why march under a SEPARATE banner? They are veterans whether they are gay, straight, white, black, etc......
ENOUGH!!!!
OMG, everyone, WATCH OUT. There's an ANGRY IRISH GIRL in town and she says, "ENOUGH!!!!". I guess that means we should all stop the conversation. Discussion closed! The ANGRY IRISH GIRL says so.
Good grief, ANGRY IRISH GIRL, not only are you annoying, but you are missing the point entirely. Go cry some white tears.
High school bands too
While we're at it, put all the high school bands together as one unit. After all, they're all high school students. No need to let any one school show its individual pride.
/snark
Hey Irish Girl, why should
Hey Irish Girl, why should you be allowed to display your ethnicity in public? You are a human whether you are Irish or not.
Believe me, in Ireland
the people hang their heads in shame when they hear of the likes of ANGRY IRISH GIRL.
Then ...
They will correct her grammar and spelling.
I have a couple Irish co-workers.
you know, that were born in Ireland. so real irish who speak Gaelic.
they make fun of the phony people claiming to be irish in massachusetts.
Former Bozo Yuppie
Eventually all you SoBo's are "formally". 3-4 years then you move on after telling everyone how to live. Unless you knock up Muffy then you may move earlier.
Lass
Before you get outraged, tell me how the last few parades the out veterans marched in were unacceptable?
They have marched with dignity and honor for a few years now. What changed? Why are you so angry?
OMG Gay Vets Marching
Somehow, AIG seems to believe that's more shameful than buckets of green beer puke, sexual assaults, and fights that this parade often features.
"Other vets" didn't serve
"Other vets" didn't serve under the same discrimination, threats of discharge and pressure to keep their family home for any award ceremony or events intended to foster unity and moral among the veteran community. Vets deserve a parade after they are victorious in an important battle, and this was one.
If they don't deserve a parade, than no one does.
The minute...
The minute that you stop displaying YOUR sexual preference in public, I'm sure they'll be happy to do the same.
Rainbows for all
As I read somewhere else:
"There are enough rainbows for all. Where do you think the leprechauns hang out? You know, the little person that's associated with St. Patrick's Day here in the USA?."
Summary: one more banner with, heaven forbid:, ANOTHER RAINBOW!!!!!11111!!!!!?
Get a life and/or grow up.
For the record, ANGRY IRISH GIRL...
...gay is a sexual orientation, not a sexual preference.
Why are you not just titled
Why are you not just titled as "person" , you chose to signify here as angry, Irish and Girl... you seemed to think all of those words made a difference.
Have you ever been to a parade? It generally consists of groups of people all with their banners saying who they are and some floats. Otherwise it is just a march.
Also you realize that being gay and in the military is only a big deal because Angry Girls and Guys decided to make it an issue. If ANGRY people did not spend so much time trying to force them out of the military and if slightly less ANGRY people did not then encourage them to just not talk about their family members to others while serving (DADT included talk of love interests or partners back home, which is something that any ole straight guy was able to do. Imagine if someone told a guy he could never mention his wife in conversation...) then maybe these veterans would not feel the need to be seen as OutVETS.
The fact that the committee thinks the friggin rainbow is too sexual says to me their is obviously still hostility towards gay men and women who serve our country and makes this even more important.
She Doesn't See People As Individuals—Prefers Laziness Of Labels
It's too much work for her to understand the differences in others, or what a particular term or identity actually means. She'd much rather just slap on some pre-assumed label, with all the stereotypes and inaccurate connotations someone else told her to believe about whatever group of people it happens to be. Apparently, she's bought into the perverted notion that sexual orientation is the same as sexual activity.
Her moniker is actually quite revealing — generic, but with specific broad adjectives. It's as though she doesn't even consider her own individuality.
Hey! I like the rainbow
Hey! I like the rainbow banner!!!!
good for them!
does anybody know if there are any public entities represented?
any fire trucks or cops on bikes?
Good Question
Marty isn't marching, but what about C6 and the ladder houses?
Sucks that this even has to be thought of, as just being there is a tradition for so many... But Boston services really should be putting pressure on these guys just like the Mayor is.
Guns and Hoses
If they are marching, I'm sure they will all be welcomed, irrespective of their sexual orientation. Sheesh, people, get a life.
Does Boston really need a St.
Does Boston really need a St. Patrick's Day parade? Can't we just drink green beer and call it a day? Such a fuss about nothing.
Officially...
...it's the Evacuation Day Parade, which has nothing to do with St. Patrick or being Irish. It's why the veterans can appropriate it, basically, although I'd say it's a pretty tenuous connection. But it's definitely enough justification to say, sorry, no, you don't get to call this an ethnic/religious festival -- if anyone had the courage and integrity to do so.
But if they called it the Evacuation Day Parade
then Howie Carr would call it a "hack" event and pressure the Governor into filing legislation to have it eliminated.
Evacuation day
Oh. OK. That explains all the stomach contents found on the streets after the parade.
Don't forget the traditional bran muffins!
n/t
Exactly
Two exits, no waiting.
Good for all the boycotts, but..
But I am done with this group who organizes it. The damage is done. Any change in their decision is not a change of heart, only a change by pressure. So it will be a hollow gesture to me.
Looking forward to the day when someone else runs this parade or a separate parade (perhaps in Boston Proper) that is inclusive of all vets, all types of Irish, etc. Good family fun that is inclusive and welcoming to all.
So will Teamsters members not
So will Teamsters members not be doing any work for the parade, or will they just not march in the parade?
If only those Top Chef organizers had stayed away from that gay bar, then maybe the Teamsters would not have bothered them for work.
I'm just going to leave this right here
It points out the obviousness of what should be happening:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/23/gay-marriage-ireland-yes-vote
Flaherty talks tough
This statement from at-large Councilor Michael Flaherty, who lives in South Boston:
Ed. note: He actually posted it yesterday afternoon. I saw it just now because he paid to run it as an ad on Facebook.
Is he marching?
I note he doesn't say anywhere in that screed that he will not march if OUTVETS isn't allowed to...