By Seth Daniel
District 2 Candidate Ed Flynn appeared at the Old Dover Neighborhood Association meeting on Tuesday, and amidst a lively discussion on topics from the opiate crisis to Long Island Bridge, he showcased his position on the controversy surrounding the gay veterans group barred from the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in South Boston.
Flynn, who is part of the Committee that voted to bar the OutVets group last March, said he was one of three votes cast for allowing them to march. He said he supports OutVets and will continue to do so, even though the controversy still hasn’t been settled.
“I was part of the vote and was one of three who voted to include OutVets,” he said. “I have always supported them and will continue to do so. They have marched in our parade before and I supported them then. They served our country. I fought hard for them to be in the parade. I didn’t publicize it, but I voted for them. I know people will try to give a different opinion on how I voted, so I wanted to clear that up.”
Flynn, a disabled veteran, said he continues to support the group, and the gay and lesbian veterans, as well as the gay and lesbian community. He said, however, the issue at the Parade is still not settled.
“Unfortunately, it isn’t settled,” he said. “I just came from a meeting there and it isn’t settled.
“It was unfair for people to criticize my part in that vote,” he continued. “It was a group of young veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq that stood up with me. It wasn’t just me.”
In other matters, Flynn told the Association that he has been a Probation Officer for the last nine years in Suffolk Superior Court, specifically assigned to the homeless population.
He said he has a lot of experience dealing with the homeless and addicted communities in the district, especially at Methadone Mile. He said the district needs to have compassion for the homeless, but he said they cannot be allowed to walk the streets.
Within that conversation, he said he supported Mayor Martin Walsh’s decision to close Long Island Bridge.
“I think the mayor did the right thing in terms of closing the bridge because the bridge was unsafe,” he said. “I went over that bridge once a week and going over was truly taking your life in your own hands. It should have been done years ago before this administration…It had to be closed that minute.”