OUTVETS group is approved to march in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

In a 5-4 vote, the Allied War Veterans Council of South Boston approves participation the parade by the group, which honors lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender military veterans. “To other people it will be a big deal,” said council commander Bran Mahoney. “But to us, it’s a group of veterans that wanted to march and deserved to be honored.” The OUTVETS group marches without incident in 2015 and 2016, but its request to march is denied by the veterans council for being submitted after the deadline and for its insistence of continuing to include a rainbow logo on its banner on March 7, 2017.