As right-wing legislative attacks against queer and trans people continue to skyrocket around the country, some conservatives seem to only be talking about one thing as of late: Bud Light.
On April 1, transgender TikTok star and social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney shared a video of herself participating in Bud Light’s Easy Carry Contest for the end of March Madness, revealing that the company helped her celebrate her “365th day of womanhood” with “possibly the best gift ever” — a commemorative can of Bud Light with Mulvaney’s face emblazoned on the side.
While Anheuser-Busch (the company that makes Bud Light) originally told Billboard in a statement that the commemorative cans bearing Mulvaney’s face are “not for sale,” that didn’t stop right-wing commentators from causing an uproar online, saying that the brand shouldn’t be promoting transgender “ideologies.” Some even said that they would be “boycotting” the companies many products, which include Budweiser, Busch, Stella Artois, Michelob Ultra, Hoegarden and others.
Some of those who spoke out included celebrities such as Kid Rock and Travis Tritt, who promised that they would be cutting all ties with the brand from that point forward. Other artists, including Jason Isbell and Zach Bryan, defended the brand against the online backlash, pointing out the importance of diversity. Even shock jock Howard Stern weighed in on the issue, saying he was “dumbfounded by why someone would care so much” about a trans person acting as a spokesperson for the beer brand.
All of this led to Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth releasing a statement where he attempted to cool the heated discourse, writing that the company “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.” He added that in the future, he would personally “continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across the nation.”
See what artists have had to say about the ongoing Anheuser-Busch controversy below:
https://www.billboard.com/lists/musician-reactions-bud-light-trans-inclusive-initiative/