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You n try<!-- --> <a href="/newsletters">subscribg here</a> or try aga later.</span></div></div></div></div></hear><article class="article" data-rid="46626" data-rtype="story"><div id="gtm-visibily-50" class="gtm-pixel"></div><div id="gtm-visibily-75" class="gtm-pixel"></div><div id="gtm-visibily-100" class="gtm-pixel"></div><sectn class="sectn--bo sectn--bp sectn--first sectn--learboard"><div class="uw bp--rponsive"><div class="bp-ner"><p class="bp-label">Advertisement</p><div class="bp-ntent bp-ntent--centered"><div></div><div id="adslot-246904"></div></div></div></div></sectn><hear class="article-sectn--tle article-sectn--island"><div class="article-actn"><h1 class="article-hdr">Gay Veterans Get OK For Boston's St. Patrick's Day Para</h1></div><div class="article-meta"><span class="article-meta-em--date"><span tle="Tuday, December 16th 2014, 4:05:00 pm">Updated <!-- -->December 16, 2014</span></span><ul class="article-meta-em--thorlist article-meta-group"><li class="article-meta-em article-meta-em--thor">Mark Pratt</li></ul><div class="article-share article-share-ins"><a href=" & target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="article-share-lk" tle="Share on Facebook"><svg class="in in-facebook" viewBox="0 0 128 128" role="img" width="24" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">facebook</tle><path display="le" d="M120.1,0H8.2c-4.4,0-8,3.6-8,8v112c0,4.4,3.6,8,8,8h60.4V78.2h-16V59.8h16V43.9 c0-14.6,8.9-24.3,26.4-24.3c7.7,0,13.1,0.9,13.1,0.9V37h-12c-5.3,0-8,3-8,8.2v14.5h18.7l-2.7,18.4h-16v49.7h32c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8V8 C128.1,3.6,124.5,0,120.1,0z"></path></svg></a><a href="mailto:?body=Gay Veterans Get OK For Boston's St. Patrick's Day Gay Veterans Get OK For Boston's St. Patrick's Day Para" class="article-share-lk" tle="Share by email"><svg class="in in-email" viewBox="0 0 128 128" width="20" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">Email</tle><path display="le" d="M64.2,86.3l-64-48V104c0,4.4,3.6,8,8,8h112c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8V38.4L64.2,86.3z M64.2,72l64-48 c0-4.4-3.6-8-8-8H8.2c-4.4,0-8,3.6-8,8L64.2,72z"></path></svg></a></div></div></hear><sectn class="article-sectn--ntent hang-punctuatn article-sectn--first article-sectn--centered article-sectns"><p class="">For the first time s history, the sponsors of Boston's St. Patrick's Day para will allow a group reprentg the gay muny to participate, drawg cheers om Mayor Mart Walsh, who boytted the event last year over the excln.</p><p class="">The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, which has long risted the cln of gay groups and won a U.S. Supreme Court cisn 1995 upholdg their right to ban them om the annual para that draws hundreds of thoands of spectators, voted 5-4 on Monday night to allow the group OutVets to march the para schled for March 15.</p><p class="">They will be allowed to rry a blue banner wh five whe stars reprentg the branch of the ary and six vertil rabow strip. The group reprents lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr veterans and participated the cy's Veterans Day para last month.</p><p class="nt-medium">"Mayor Walsh has been advotg for an clive para for que some time," spokwoman Kate Norton said a statement Tuday. "We're thrilled to hear that the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council has cid to make the 2015 para an clive event."</p><p class="">OutVets is beg allowed to participate bee of their members' ary service, and sexual orientatn was irrelevant the vote, said Brian Mahoney, manr of the veterans uncil. The para is meant to honor veterans and Irish-Amerin herage, and OutVets met the creria, he said.</p><p class="nt-medium">"It was a group of vets who wanted to march and we said `Yeah,' " he said Tuday.</p><p class="">Bryan Bishop, OutVets founr and a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, said he was "ecstatic" wh the vote and agreed that the cisn was based primarily on veteran stat.</p><p class="nt-medium">"We're marchg as veterans who happen to be gay," said Bishop, who works as chief of staff Boston's Veterans Servic agency. "We honor the sacrific of LGBT veterans and their fai and the sacrific all veterans."</p><p class="">Para anizers have long risted the cln of gay groups, and some members of the uncil ntue to hold out.</p><p class="">Lead anizer Philip Wchke Jr. said the vote was illegal bee there was no quom.</p><p class="nt-medium">"I'm sendg a letter to the manr sayg he held an illegal meetg and an illegal vote," Wchke said. "He did not follow the bylaws of the uncil."</p><p class="">Mahoney disputed that. "I feel safe sayg that last night's vote was legal," he said.</p><p class="">Gov.-elect Charlie Baker said Tuday that the cisn was the spir of a para that began as a celebratn by veterans.</p><p class="nt-medium">"Givg a veterans group like that an opportuny to march the para is a good thg," Baker said.</p><p class="">State urts forced para sponsors to allow the Irish-Amerin Gay, Lbian and Bisexual Group of Boston to march the para 1992 and 1993. In 1994, the sponsors nceled the para rather than allow the group to participate.</p><p class="">The U.S. Supreme Court led unanimoly 1995 that Massachetts urts had prevly vlated the para sponsors' First Amendment rights when they forced them to allow the group to participate.</p><p class="">The para, which anizers say has been held sce 1901, was negotiatns last year to allow the LGBT group MassEqualy to march, but thgs fell apart at the last moment, and Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants, boytted the para. Other top Massachetts policians have for s refed to participate the para bee the excln of gay groups.</p><p class=""><em>Associated Prs wrer Bob Salsberg ntributed to this report.</em></p></sectn><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><p><em>This article was origally published on December 16, 2014.</em></p></sectn></article><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"></sectn><sectn class="sectn--bo sectn--bp"><div class="uw bp--rponsive"><div class="bp-ner"><p class="bp-label">Advertisement</p><div class="bp-ntent bp-ntent--centered"><div></div><div id="adslot-246905"></div></div></div></div></sectn><div></div><div class="global-d-ponents onmand--is-playg"><div class="global-player"><d preload="to"></d><div class="global-player-bar"><div class="global-player-bar-left"><button class="global-player-bar-ntrol"><i class="in-play in-play--global-player-bar in-play--psed"><span class="in-play-shape"><span class="in-label" data-note="for-screen-rears">Rume</span></span></i></button><div class="global-player-label global-player-label--live"><div class="global-player-channel"><span>Listen Live</span></div><div class="global-player-tle"><a class="global-player-label-lk" href="/">Loadg...</a></div></div></div><div class="global-player-bar-right"><div class="global-player-x"><svg class="in in-close" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">Close

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You n try<!-- --> <a href="/newsletters">subscribg here</a> or try aga later.</span></div></div></div></div></hear><article class="article" data-rid="46626" data-rtype="story"><div id="gtm-visibily-50" class="gtm-pixel"></div><div id="gtm-visibily-75" class="gtm-pixel"></div><div id="gtm-visibily-100" class="gtm-pixel"></div><sectn class="sectn--bo sectn--bp sectn--first sectn--learboard"><div class="uw bp--rponsive"><div class="bp-ner"><p class="bp-label">Advertisement</p><div class="bp-ntent bp-ntent--centered"><div></div><div id="adslot-246904"></div></div></div></div></sectn><hear class="article-sectn--tle article-sectn--island"><div class="article-actn"><h1 class="article-hdr">Gay Veterans Get OK For Boston's St. Patrick's Day Para</h1></div><div class="article-meta"><span class="article-meta-em--date"><span tle="Tuday, December 16th 2014, 4:05:00 pm">Updated <!-- -->December 16, 2014</span></span><ul class="article-meta-em--thorlist article-meta-group"><li class="article-meta-em article-meta-em--thor">Mark Pratt</li></ul><div class="article-share article-share-ins"><a href=" & target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="article-share-lk" tle="Share on Facebook"><svg class="in in-facebook" viewBox="0 0 128 128" role="img" width="24" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">facebook</tle><path display="le" d="M120.1,0H8.2c-4.4,0-8,3.6-8,8v112c0,4.4,3.6,8,8,8h60.4V78.2h-16V59.8h16V43.9 c0-14.6,8.9-24.3,26.4-24.3c7.7,0,13.1,0.9,13.1,0.9V37h-12c-5.3,0-8,3-8,8.2v14.5h18.7l-2.7,18.4h-16v49.7h32c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8V8 C128.1,3.6,124.5,0,120.1,0z"></path></svg></a><a href="mailto:?body=Gay Veterans Get OK For Boston's St. Patrick's Day Gay Veterans Get OK For Boston's St. Patrick's Day Para" class="article-share-lk" tle="Share by email"><svg class="in in-email" viewBox="0 0 128 128" width="20" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">Email</tle><path display="le" d="M64.2,86.3l-64-48V104c0,4.4,3.6,8,8,8h112c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8V38.4L64.2,86.3z M64.2,72l64-48 c0-4.4-3.6-8-8-8H8.2c-4.4,0-8,3.6-8,8L64.2,72z"></path></svg></a></div></div></hear><sectn class="article-sectn--ntent hang-punctuatn article-sectn--first article-sectn--centered article-sectns"><p class="">For the first time s history, the sponsors of Boston's St. Patrick's Day para will allow a group reprentg the gay muny to participate, drawg cheers om Mayor Mart Walsh, who boytted the event last year over the excln.</p><p class="">The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, which has long risted the cln of gay groups and won a U.S. Supreme Court cisn 1995 upholdg their right to ban them om the annual para that draws hundreds of thoands of spectators, voted 5-4 on Monday night to allow the group OutVets to march the para schled for March 15.</p><p class="">They will be allowed to rry a blue banner wh five whe stars reprentg the branch of the ary and six vertil rabow strip. The group reprents lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr veterans and participated the cy's Veterans Day para last month.</p><p class="nt-medium">"Mayor Walsh has been advotg for an clive para for que some time," spokwoman Kate Norton said a statement Tuday. "We're thrilled to hear that the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council has cid to make the 2015 para an clive event."</p><p class="">OutVets is beg allowed to participate bee of their members' ary service, and sexual orientatn was irrelevant the vote, said Brian Mahoney, manr of the veterans uncil. The para is meant to honor veterans and Irish-Amerin herage, and OutVets met the creria, he said.</p><p class="nt-medium">"It was a group of vets who wanted to march and we said `Yeah,' " he said Tuday.</p><p class="">Bryan Bishop, OutVets founr and a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, said he was "ecstatic" wh the vote and agreed that the cisn was based primarily on veteran stat.</p><p class="nt-medium">"We're marchg as veterans who happen to be gay," said Bishop, who works as chief of staff Boston's Veterans Servic agency. "We honor the sacrific of LGBT veterans and their fai and the sacrific all veterans."</p><p class="">Para anizers have long risted the cln of gay groups, and some members of the uncil ntue to hold out.</p><p class="">Lead anizer Philip Wchke Jr. said the vote was illegal bee there was no quom.</p><p class="nt-medium">"I'm sendg a letter to the manr sayg he held an illegal meetg and an illegal vote," Wchke said. "He did not follow the bylaws of the uncil."</p><p class="">Mahoney disputed that. "I feel safe sayg that last night's vote was legal," he said.</p><p class="">Gov.-elect Charlie Baker said Tuday that the cisn was the spir of a para that began as a celebratn by veterans.</p><p class="nt-medium">"Givg a veterans group like that an opportuny to march the para is a good thg," Baker said.</p><p class="">State urts forced para sponsors to allow the Irish-Amerin Gay, Lbian and Bisexual Group of Boston to march the para 1992 and 1993. In 1994, the sponsors nceled the para rather than allow the group to participate.</p><p class="">The U.S. Supreme Court led unanimoly 1995 that Massachetts urts had prevly vlated the para sponsors' First Amendment rights when they forced them to allow the group to participate.</p><p class="">The para, which anizers say has been held sce 1901, was negotiatns last year to allow the LGBT group MassEqualy to march, but thgs fell apart at the last moment, and Walsh, the son of Irish immigrants, boytted the para. Other top Massachetts policians have for s refed to participate the para bee the excln of gay groups.</p><p class=""><em>Associated Prs wrer Bob Salsberg ntributed to this report.</em></p></sectn><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"><p><em>This article was origally published on December 16, 2014.</em></p></sectn></article><sectn class="article-sectn--story-group article-sectn--centered"></sectn><sectn class="sectn--bo sectn--bp"><div class="uw bp--rponsive"><div class="bp-ner"><p class="bp-label">Advertisement</p><div class="bp-ntent bp-ntent--centered"><div></div><div id="adslot-246905"></div></div></div></div></sectn><div></div><div class="global-d-ponents onmand--is-playg"><div class="global-player"><d preload="to"></d><div class="global-player-bar"><div class="global-player-bar-left"><button class="global-player-bar-ntrol"><i class="in-play in-play--global-player-bar in-play--psed"><span class="in-play-shape"><span class="in-label" data-note="for-screen-rears">Rume</span></span></i></button><div class="global-player-label global-player-label--live"><div class="global-player-channel"><span>Listen Live</span></div><div class="global-player-tle"><a class="global-player-label-lk" href="/">Loadg...</a></div></div></div><div class="global-player-bar-right"><div class="global-player-x"><svg class="in in-close" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-labelledby="tle"><tle id="tle">Close.