Transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney expressed feeling let down by Bud Light after experiencing an overwhelming amount of bullying and transphobia as a result of her collaboration with the beer company.
In a video shared on Instagram and TikTok on Thursday, Mulvaney revealed that he had been expecting Bud Light to show support, but they never reached out to him. He acknowledged that he should have spoken up earlier but was fearful and had hoped for improvement, which unfortunately did not materialize.
Mulvaney spoke about his struggles, stating that he had been afraid to leave his house for months. He recounted instances of public ridicule, being followed, and experiencing a deep sense of loneliness that he wouldn’t wish upon anyone.
Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, released a statement on Friday that did not directly address Mulvaney’s claims. However, they emphasized their commitment to various programs and partnerships with organizations, including those within the LGBTQ+ community.
Following Mulvaney’s participation in a promotional contest for Bud Light, where he featured in an Instagram video opening a can with his own image, a wave of criticism and hate engulfed him. Conservative figures and others called for a boycott of Bud Light, while Mulvaney’s supporters criticized the beer brand for not offering sufficient support.
As a consequence, two marketing executives at Anheuser-Busch InBev, Bud Light’s parent company, took leaves of absence, and Bud Light lost its long-standing position as America’s top-selling beer.
According to Bump Williams Consulting, which tracks the industry, Bud Light’s retail sales in the United States declined by 26% in the four weeks ending on June 17 compared to the same period the previous year. Meanwhile, Modelo Especial, which recently surpassed Bud Light as the country’s best-selling beer in terms of retail dollar sales, experienced a 9% increase during the same timeframe. Modelo’s market share stood at 8.4%, while Bud Light’s was 7.1%.
The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group in the country, suspended its benchmark equality and inclusion rating for Anheuser-Busch, a subsidiary of Belgian brewer AB InBev.
Mulvaney criticized companies for hiring transgender individuals but failing to publicly support them, suggesting that this behavior is worse than not hiring them at all, as it gives customers the freedom to express transphobic and hateful sentiments. However, he did not specifically mention Bud Light.
In it’s response, Anheuser-Busch stated that it prioritizes the safety and privacy of its employees and partners, and moving forward, it aims to focus on brewing inclusive beer for all and participating in meaningful moments for its consumers.
Other companies, such as Target and Starbucks, have recently faced backlash for their attempts to cater to the LGBTQ+ community, particularly during Pride month, only to encounter further criticism when they attempted to backtrack.
These controversies arise amidst a heated and widespread debate concerning the rights of transgender individuals. At least 17 states have implemented laws that restrict or prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, with most of them passing such legislation since the beginning of this year.
