NEW YORK CITY: Guinness To Return As Sponsor Of St. Patrick's Day Parade

 Via the Wall Street Journal:

Guinness has decided to resume sponsorship of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Fifth Avenue after dropping out last year, sparking criticism from gay activists who want a broad boycott because of what they call the organizers’ discriminatory policies. Diageo PLC, the parent company of Guinness, cited parade organizers’ decision to allow one gay group to march this year as a prime factor in Guinness’s decision. In September, the parade organizers announced that Out@NBC-Universal, a group of gay employees at NBC, would be permitted to march under its own banner. “While there is still work to be done, we are pleased that the parade organizers have taken steps to allow the LGBT community to be represented,” Diageo said in a statement. A spokeswoman for Guinness didn't respond to a request for comment beyond the company’s statement. Heineken U.S.A. also withdrew its sponsorship of the parade last year. A spokeswoman didn’t respond Friday to an inquiry; the spokeswoman said two weeks ago that a “decision had not been made” at that time.

When Guinness pulled out last year, Bill Donohue launched a boycott campaign that ultimately went nowhere. Heineken also dropped its sponsorship of the 2014 parade, but its not yet known if they will follow Guinness back to this year's event. A spokesman for Irish Queers has expressed "disappointment" with the decision by Guinness.

Catholic League: We're Still Boycotting Those Anti-God Bullies At Guinness Beer

"We are now half-way to St. Patrick’s Day, and many will be tipping a few in anticipation of the March 17, 2015 parades and celebrations. For several reasons, the Guinness boycott must continue. First, we should remember that this corporate bully tried to shove its secular agenda down our throats by punishing the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade for not allowing gays to march under their own banners in 2014; it pulled its sponsorship. Its goal, which is supported by its friends at Irish Central, is to sever the religious moorings of the parade. Second, it announced its boycott on the eve of the parade, swindling pub owners to stock up on its stout before pulling the trigger. Third, even though a gay group will be marching in the 2015 New York parade, Guinness is not promising to renew its sponsorship: it wants more homosexual units to march before getting on board again. If it were to succeed, it would turn the parade into a diversity free-for-all, thus eviscerating its Catholic heritage. Guinness has no monopoly on St. Patrick’s Day anyway. It’s time we sent them a message and told them to get lost." - Bill Donohue, writing for the Catholic League.

One Million Moms Vs Guinness Beer

Just in via email:

Joe, Guinness & Co. is currently airing a commercial for its beer with a popular gospel hymn as background music. The song "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" is played during the entire ad and even though there are no lyrics it is unmistakably the beloved hymn Christians know and love. The cherished "Everlasting Arms" hymn has no place in a beer commercial. Christian music should not be associated with an advertisement promoting drinking. The choice of including this hymn in the ad disrespects the Christian faith. Take Action: Please send an email letter strongly encouraging Guinness & Co. to change the background music in their "Empty Chair" commercial. Ask that they no longer use a hymn out of respect for Christians.

The ad debuted over the Fourth Of July and has been widely praised by critics and members of the military.

Bill Donohue: Knights Of Columbus Will Join My Boycott Of Guinness Beer

"We have amassed over 7,000 email addresses from the Knights of Columbus, constituting over 1,500 councils across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Today, we are asking the Knights to join us in our boycott of Guinness. We are confident that many Knights will participate. How do we know? Because we have been contacted by many councils already, anticipating our appeal to them. When Guinness pulled the plug on its sponsorship of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City—over the bogus argument that gays are barred from marching—it insulted Catholics of every ethnicity. The only way to send the corporate bullies at Guinness a message is to hit them in the pocket book." - Economic terrorist Bill Donohue, writing for the Catholic League.

Bill Donohue: I Beat NYC Pride

"I want to be very honest with you. This was a ploy, and they took the sucker's bait. I wanted to push them to tell me when I didn't agree with your rules that you weren't going to go along with it. I won on it. I had no intention of marching in the parade. Let's just say that [parade training sessions] are totally legitimate. Again, that's their call. It's none of my business to tell them what their rules ought to be. My larger point was, 'You have rules. So does the St. Patrick's Day Parade'." - Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue, speaking yesterday on a right wing internet television show.

Earlier this month Donohue was granted permission to march in this year's NYC Pride behind a banner that was to read "Straight Is Great." Donohue then weaseled out of marching, claiming that the parade's mandatory logistics meeting was a "gay training session." Donohue also yesterday claimed that he has photos of nude men masturbating and performing "Satanic dances" in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral during a 1994 "unauthorized" gay pride parade that was separate from the parade organized by NYC Pride. Hit to link to watch video of yesterday's interview.

Bill Donohue: My "Straight Is Great" Group Would Have Overwhelmed NYC Pride

Brian Tashman writes at Right Wing Watch:

The day before Catholic League head and anti-gay activist Bill Donohue announced that he wouldn’t participate in the NYC Pride Parade even though organizers accepted his application to lead a “Straight Is Great” parade contingent, Donohue told conservative talk show host Steve Malzberg that the parade organizers are maneuvering to keep him out of the parade because they are afraid his “Straight Is Great” message will catch on and flood the parade: “They know what they’re opening the door to: what if instead of getting 100 people, what if I get 3,000 people? What if we begin to overwhelm their parade and vetoes their message?” Donohue said that he withdrew from the parade because he didn’t want to attend required training sessions for all group leaders. “Quite frankly, as a straight guy, I don’t go to gay training sessions,” Donohue said. “I think I’m pretty much an untrainable guy when it comes to this thing.”

As I pointed out several days ago, a representative from each group in the parade must attend that "gay training session," where they are given homofascist instructions about what time to arrive and how loud your music can be. They are also given gay agenda-driven suggestions to wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes.

Bill Donohue Weasels Out Of NYC Pride: I Refuse To Take Their Forced Gay Training

Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue has really outdone himself with today's laughable lie. As you probably know, in response to Guinness pulling its support from the St. Patrick's Day Parade, Donohue demanded permission to march in the NYC Pride parade. Much to his horror, they graciously welcomed him to participate. Take it away, Donohue:

I asked to join the parade under a banner that would read, “Straight is Great.” The purpose of my request was to see just how far they would go without forcing me to abide by their rules. It didn’t take long before they did. Today, I informed Heritage of Pride officials that I objected to their rule requiring me to attend gay training sessions, or what they call “information” sessions. “I don’t agree with your rule,” I said. They responded by saying that attendance was “mandatory.” The St. Patrick’s Day parade has mandatory rules, too. It bars groups representing their own cause from marching, which is why pro-life Catholics—not just gays—are barred from participating under their own banner. But only gays complain: they refuse to abide by the rules. Indeed, they went into federal court seeking to force a rule change. They lost. In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that private parades have a First Amendment right to determine their own rules. It is hypocritical for gay activists to complain about having to abide by the mandatory rules of the St. Patrick’s Day parade, and then inform me that I cannot march in their parade unless I respect their mandatory rules, rules that I reject. Good luck to the Heritage of Pride participants. I may be watching it from afar, but I sure won’t be downing a Guinness afterwards.

As ANYBODY who was ever participated in NYC Pride knows, ALL groups must send a representative to a training session in advance of the parade. At these meetings those representatives are given instructions about the logistics of the parade, where and when to line up, rules about sound systems, safety procedures, police instructions - all the very basic details that are given out prior to ANY major public parade. The folks that attend these training sessions are even given special "group marshal" t-shirts to wear during the parade so that parade monitors can find them should there be any problem. THAT is what Bill Donohue calls "forced gay training." We all knew he would find some way to weasel out of the parade, but this is too fucking funny for words.

RELATED: Several years ago a group of NYC-based bloggers and journalists formed a group to march in the parade. Calling ourselves the Digital Activists, we sent Father Tony and Chris, his husband of 30 years (pictured here in his parade marshal shirt), to attend the training session. Tony just related to me by phone how amusing he found it that the training session that year was held at St. Vincent's, where a baleful Jesus gazed down upon all those evil homofascists from a massive crucifix at the end of the room. I bet even Bill Donohue would have liked that.

UPDATE: Recent NYC Pride training director Maurice Owen-Michanne has graciously provided me with the PowerPoint presentation which Bill Donohue calls "forced gay training." As you'll see, the words "gay" and "LGBT" appear exactly once each in the entire document. And that's in the name of the event. Maps! Directions! Sunscreen! Comfortable shoes! All that forced gay training is OVERWHELMING.

Bill Donohue Launches Guinness Boycott

Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue has launched his promised boycott petition against Guinness beer.

Gays have never been barred from marching in any St. Patrick’s Day parade—they simply cannot march under their own banner. Neither can pro-life Catholics. The message of the St. Patrick’s Day parade is simple: it is to honor St. Patrick. It is not about any other cause. That’s why we have parades that celebrate other causes: it’s called respect for diversity. In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 to sustain the right of private parade organizers to determine their own rules for participation. If this ruling were otherwise, then groups that seek to veto the message of any parade would be allowed to march, thus undercutting the purpose of the parade. This would effectively kill freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

Guinness is showing its disrespect for diversity, its support for intolerance, and its contempt for the First Amendment rights of everyone associated with the St. Patrick’s Day parade. Make no mistake about it, Guinness chose to boycott this parade because of its quintessentially Catholic nature: radicals who hate the moral teachings of the Catholic Church fingered this parade because of its religious significance. If Guinness reinstates its sponsorship of New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, this campaign will end. Until it does, I support the Catholic League’s boycott of Guinness.

The Catholic League website directs supporters to send complaining emails to Diageo, the company that distributes Guinness in the USA. As this writing Donohue has not posted or tweeted about NYC Pride's acceptance of his demand to be allowed to march in this year's parade. He has, however, noted the passing of Fred Phelps.

REMINDER: When Christianist groups call for nationwide boycotts of companies and their products, that is a righteous use of the free market in order to preserve morality, marriage, family, and the American way. But when LGBT groups use or threaten the use of a boycott, THAT is homofascist intimidation, intolerance, bullying, a stifling of religious liberty, and an attempt to deny the freedom of speech. Just so we're clear.

NYC Pride Agrees: "Straight Is Great", Catholic League Welcome To March

On Sunday, Guinness Beer announced that it was dropping its sponsorship of the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade over the event's long-running exclusion of LGBT groups. That move prompted an immediate outcry from anti-gay groups, the loudest of which has been the NYC-based Catholic League, whose leader Bill Donohue yesterday demanded permission for his group to march in the 2014 NYC Pride March behind a banner that would read, "Straight Is Great."  In a letter provided to JMG today, Heritage Of Pride, the organizers of the NYC Pride March, agreed to Donohue's demand.

From Heritage Of Pride's response:

“Mr. Donohue and his group are free to participate in the 2014 March. His group’s presence affirms the need for this year’s Pride theme, ‘We Have Won When We’re One.’ Straight is great – as long as there’s no hate,” said David Studinski, March Director of NYC Pride. Chris Frederick, Managing Director of NYC Pride, added, “Straight allies are great. We have thousands of straight people participating in the Pride March, including Catholic groups, who support LGBT youth, families and married couples.” GLAAD's Commentator Accountability Project provided background information on Bill Donohue's recent statements on LGBT people. On February 27, 2014, Donohue gave a video interview with World Over with Raymond Arroyo in which he stated, "If I wanted to get into their gay pride parade with my own float with big banners saying 'straight is great,' they would have a right to feel put-upon and I wouldn't do that to them."

The letter goes on to note the Catholic League's long-standing opposition to LGBT rights.

Mr. Donohue has been an outspoken opponent of legal recognition of LGBT people, loving LGBT families, the science of sexual orientation and HIV/AIDS education. He continually refers to marriage equality as "crazy" and "one of the most bizarre ideas in human history," and he has equated the marriage equality movement with the "minority of people in South Africa who took away the rights of Black people;" insists “we’re not going to allow gay people to adopt children, that’s against nature, it’s against nature’s God;” champions a program called Courage, which tells LGBT people that a chaste, celibate life is the only acceptable option; and on multiple occasions, Mr. Donohue has referred to AIDS as "self-inflicted" and due to going against “natural order.”

For further examples of anti-gay statements by Catholic League head Bill Donohue, visit the GLAAD Commentator Accountability Project at this link. Embiggen the above letter from Heritage Of Pride to read their response in full. The letter is also available for download at the JMG Scribd account.  Donohue has not yet responded to the decision by Heritage Of Pride. When he does, that reaction will be added as an update to this post.

Bill Donohue: I'll Make Guinness Suffer

"If the Guinness corporate bullies think that this is a flash in the pan, then they don’t understand the Catholic League. But they will—we are not going away. There is a price to be paid for anti-Catholic bigotry, and that is exactly what is driving Guinness to act. Gays have never been barred from marching in any St. Patrick’s Day parade, and everyone knows it. Guinness wants to punish Catholics for holding to traditional moral values, and now they must suffer the consequences.

"This is the start of an on-going protest that will send an unmistakable message to Guinness: declaring war on Catholics is risky business. The rollout of this campaign is visible here at our headquarters: the staff is busy assembling a list of Catholic organizations, Irish groups, pub owners, and all those persons and associations that have worked with us in the past, to boycott Guinness. There will be public statements, paid advertisements, and more. Of course, we will continue to blanket the media. While we will not refrain from addressing other issues, the Guinness boycott is our top priority. We have the time, the money, and the determination to conduct a full-court press. Stay tuned." - Catholic League blowhard Bill Donohue, via press release.

Also today, Donohue appeared on right wing radio to declare that he will apply to march in the NYC Pride parade behind a banner that reads "Straight Is Great." I've reached out to NYC Pride and will let you know if he follows through. I see no reason why they should refuse.


UPDATE: NYC Pride managing director Chris Frederick has confirmed Donohue's request to me via email. Frederick says that a statement will be issued shortly.