Allied War Veterans Council Commander Brian Mahoney writes this week that some hapless volunteer mistakenly approved Boston Pride's application to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, that he and other parade officials didn't know the group was gay until two days before the parade and decided to let them march anyway.

But, he continues he's going to have to think long and hard about letting them in again, not because they're gay, but because, he says, they unfurled multi-colored umbrellas in a "shocking and unauthorized" display that could only be seen as a political message even aside from the fact that umbrellas are banned from the parade.