Catholic Group: Stop Drinking Guinness

Catholic League clamors for boycott after parade pull-out
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 20, 2014 7:19 AM CDT
Updated Mar 23, 2014 7:26 AM CDT
Catholic Group: Stop Drinking Guinness
Artist Gilbert Baker holds a banner that reads "Boycott Homophobia" before the start of the St. Patrick's Day parade, Monday, March 17, 2014 in New York.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The St. Patrick's Day parades are certainly over, but the controversy is still brewing—just like the stout at least one Catholic group wants the faithful to stop drinking. After Guinness, Sam Adams, and Heineken withdrew from parades that barred marchers from carrying pro-gay signs in New York City and Boston, Catholic League president Bill Donohue announced his group will now take out newspaper ads as part of a campaign to boycott Guinness. "I have the time and money. We're going to punish Guinness for what they've done," Donohue told Al Jazeera America. He accuses the beer maker and LGBT groups of "ignorance," since private parade organizers have a right to design their own marching rules, and told a radio talk show, "They have really made a serious mistake, Guinness, in trying to stick it to Roman Catholics," reports CBS News.

Donohue added that other unnamed Catholic groups will spearhead boycotts of Sam Adams and Heineken, but the latter doesn't sound too worried. A rep for the beer says, "Our intent is to always act in a non-discriminatory way. When we come across something that contradicts this, we take action. For that reason, we didn't sponsor the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade." Donohue adds that he has now applied to walk in NYC's June Pride March ... under a "Straight is Great" banner. (This isn't the only alcohol battle going on right now.)

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