A military-themed brewery wants to open in a major naval city. An ex-SEAL stands in the way
NORFOLK, Va. — NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A former U.S. Navy SEAL who says he shot Osama bin Laden is at the center of a very different fight in Virginia, where plans for a military-themed brewery are drawing opposition over its alleged racist and homophobic comments. .
Robert J. O'Neill has a small ownership interest in Armed Forces Brewing Company and has served as a brand ambassador. His recent social media complaint about a Navy sailor performing as a drag queen and a police report alleging he made racist comments are fueling efforts to stop the brewery from opening in military-friendly Norfolk.
The company, which markets itself with politically conservative ads, has rejected claims of bigotry and downplayed O'Neill's public role. But last month, Norfolk's planning commission recommended the City Council deny permits for the planned taproom and distribution center, which would be just a few miles from the nation's largest naval base.
The non-binding 4-to-2 vote came after nearly 800 public comments were submitted, many of which were against the company. The brewery also received no support from the local neighborhood association, which serves Park Place's largely black community.
The City Council could vote on the brewery's conditional use permits as early as Tuesday. The company has warned it will file a lawsuit if the application is rejected.
In a letter to Norfolk's attorney, brewery attorney Tim Anderson said the planning commission's vote was based on the owners' political views.
“What is 100% clear to me is that if my client was an activist brewery that was positively involved in promoting LGBTQ ideas – the application would have made it through planning,” Anderson said.
In some ways, the case seems like an inverse, albeit miniature, version of the outcry over Bud Light sending a commemorative can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The brand's sales fell due to conservative backlash, although Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light's parent company, also angered transgender rights advocates who believed the company would later abandon Mulvaney.
Opponents say Armed Forces Brewing would be a blatantly bad solution for the city of about 230,000 on the Chesapeake Bay. They argue that its ownership does not reflect the diversity of the U.S. military, veterans or liberal-leaning Norfolk.
Robert Bracknell, a lawyer and former Marine, said the company made no effort to win over surrounding neighborhoods while relying on conservative identity politics for its brand name. The community's opposition is not anti-military, but “anti-intolerance and anti-hate,” he said.
“These guys are not the Navy,” said Bracknell, who lives less than two miles from the proposed taproom. “They are a very small part of the veteran community that does not represent the rest of us.”
Opponents cited O'Neill's August arrest in Frisco, Texas, in which police said he assaulted a hotel security guard while drunk and made racist comments. O'Neill, who is charged with assault and public intoxication, later posted on the social media platform
In response to the news that an active-duty sailor who serves as a drag queen was helping the Navy's recruiting efforts, O'Neill posted on X in May: “Okay. The US Navy now uses a Sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. I'm ready. China is going to destroy us. You have this Navy. I can't believe I fought for this bull.”
O'Neill, who is now a public speaker and podcaster, did not respond to a request for comment sent via his website, LinkedIn profile or Facebook page.
Opponents of the brewery also targeted shareholder and advisor Gretchen Smith. The Air Force veteran posted on X that Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd, was innocent.
Another message from Smith cited the “Great Reset,” a conspiracy theory that the Anti-Defamation League said may have anti-Semitic overtones, although she expressed support for Israel in other messages.
The company's promotional videos also received criticism. Some involve firing many weapons. And a tongue-in-cheek ad for investors warned anyone who has ever seen or enjoys the television show “The View” to “take your 5-year-old child to drag shows.”
In response to attempts to get comment from Smith, Armed Forces Brewing said she was out of the country. But the company said in an email: “Gretchen resents the vocal minority because she holds political views that tens of millions of conservative Americans hold – and which she has a First Amendment right to express on her personal social media. ”
Planning Commissioner Kim Sudderth voted against the brewery, citing concerns about anti-Semitism and violent hate speech.
“I am genuinely concerned that you may not meet the city's terms and conditions and work successfully with the community,” Sudderth said at a meeting last month.
Alan Beal, CEO of Armed Forces Brewing, told the committee that O'Neill and Smith are not part of the day-to-day operations. Although O'Neill remains on the board, he is no longer the brewery's director of military services, Beal said, noting that O'Neill recently sought treatment in Mexico for post-traumatic stress.
“Despite rumors of opposition spreading through the city, no one runs around the brewery with AR-15s or rifles and there is no barbed wire on the fence,” Beal told the committee last month. “The military is diverse. And yes, everyone is welcome at Armed Forces Brewing Company.”
In a promotional video, Beal said the goal is to brew beer for the military community while hiring veterans and supporting their causes.
Anderson, the brewery's attorney, told the planning commission that the business needs to open so people realize it's not the “bogeyman.”
“This is not going to be a place for anti-LGBTQ rallies or anything distasteful,” Anderson said. “Everything will calm down.”
Jeff Ryder, president of Hampton Roads Pride, is skeptical. He said the community will continue to raise its concerns as it tries to build a relationship with the brewery.
“But they haven't really given me any indication that they want to,” Ryder said.