Illinois Gay Bars Boycott Bud Light Over Anti-Transgender Comments
Anheuser-Busch InBev's abandonment of its support for transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, the subsequent reprehensible and divisive comments by its CEO, and Anheuser-Busch putting on involuntary leave at least two of its marketing executives involved in the marketing campaign that celebrated Mulvaney's transgender journey, 2Bears Tavern Group is discontinuing all Anheuser-Busch InBev products, including Busch Light, Bud Light, and Goose Island 312," the 2Bears Tavern Group wrote in a Facebook post last week."Anheuser-Busch's decision to drop its support of Mulvaney in response to ignorant and hateful objections by some of its customers shows how little Anheuser-Busch cares about the LGBTQIA+ community, and in particular transgender people, who have been under unrelenting attack in this country."The announcement by the group, which owns several LGBTQIA+ bars across Chicago, comes amid ongoing controversy surrounding Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch.
In April, Mulvaney posted an Instagram video showcasing a customized Bud Light can that the brand sent her to promote her transition to a woman.The partnership initially sparked criticism and backlash from conservative voices, such as musician Kid Rock.
However, Bud Light CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a statement saying that the beer brand "never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people," and Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Michel Doukeris told investors last week that the post by Mulvaney "was the result of one can.
