The executive director of New York's St Patrick's Day parade has defended his decision to cancel sponsorship by an Irish vodka company.
Mr Jim Barker confirmed he had cancelled Boru Vodka's advertisement on the back of the official St Patrick's Day parade programme because it had sponsored a children's marching band in last Sunday's St Patrick's Day Parade in Queens, New York, an event which allows gay groups to participate.
The New York mayor, Mr Michael Bloomberg, was among politicians who attended the parade in Queens which was established five years ago as a protest against the Manhattan St Patrick's Day parade, which bans lesbian and gay groups.
Mr Barker said that the organisers of the official Manhattan St Patrick's Day parade had "different morals" to the vodka company, and he could not condone support for homosexuality, which he described as a "disease".
Ms Rosann Sessa, the US vice-president of marketing for Castle Brands, which makes Boru Vodka, said that the company was given no opportunity to discuss the issue with Mr Barker.
"We weren't making a statement for or against either parade, we are just trying to give something back to the community and get our name out there," she said.
Ms Sessa confirmed that Boru had sponsored New York's All City Schools Marching Band, which includes members from public schools across New York, in last Sunday's parade.
Ms Sessa said that Boru's brand was not visible anywhere near the children, but was visible on a float at the end of the parade.
Mr Barker has banned Boru from taking out advertising in the Manhattan parade's programme, which is distributed at the annual post-parade dinner at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. He also cancelled its status as the official vodka of the post-parade dinner.