Chicago gay bar refuses to sell Bud Light beer products amid controversy over Dylan Mulvaney
Chicago gay bars pledged not to sell Bud Light after Anheuser-Busch cut back on their involvement with Dylan Mulvaney as sales fell 26 percent.
The four-location Windy City bar, 2Bears Tavern Group, denounced Anheuser-Busch after the company “abandoned” their support of 26-year-old Mulvaney on Thursday.
CEO of the beer company Michel Doukeris addressed the massive backlash last week, claiming the partnership with Mulvaney was “not a formal campaign or advertisement.”
The 2Bears Tavern Group referred to Doukeris’ response to the allegation as “cruel” and “hateful,” while insisting the beer company was simply fueling “anti-trans” criticism.
The conflict comes more than a month after the beer company partnered with Mulvaney in March to celebrate her first year as a trans woman.
Chicago gay bar 2Bears Tavern Group announced Thursday that they will no longer be serving Bud Light. Pictured: 2Bears Tavern on Argyle Street
Bar officials denounced the beer company’s “chipped” support for their partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Pictured: Mulvaney drinking Bud Light in a video posted April 1
Michel Doukeris, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, addressed the massive backlash last week, claiming the partnership with Mulvaney was “not a formal campaign or advertisement.” The 2Bears Tavern Group called the response to the allegation ‘cruel’ and ‘hateful’
Doukeris downplayed the collaboration with the trans influencer during a Thursday earnings call with investors.
“We need to clarify the facts that this was one camp, one influencer, one post and not a campaign,” Doukeris said.
The CEO sought to restore his tarnished brand after announcing that the partnership had tarnished the company and caused sales to fall. The partnership also led to two marketing executives taking leave amid setbacks.
The disastrous marketing bid caused sales of the U.S. flagship beer to drop 26 percent, despite Anheuser-Busch reporting first-quarter earnings of $1.65 billion.
Investors were also told by Doukeris that Bud Light will triple its marketing spend this summer in an effort to lure customers back to the compromised brand.
“We will continue to learn, meet the moment in time, all be stronger and we will work tirelessly to do what we do best: bring people together over a beer and create a future of more cheer,” said Doukeris.
Meanwhile, the LGBTQ+ Chicago pub denounced Doukeris’ attempt at damage control as an “attack” on the country.
“Anheuser-Busch’s decision to discontinue its support of Mulvaney in response to ignorant and hateful objections from some of its clients demonstrates how little Anheuser-Busch cares about the LGBTQIA+ community, and specifically transgender people, who are in this country under constant attack. ,” the bar wrote in a statement.
CEO Brendan Whitworth’s excuse that Anheuser-Busch “never intended to be part of a divisive discussion” amounted to claiming that the rights and safety of transgender people are issues worthy of debate. ‘
Bar officials further ridiculed Doukeris for his lack of “care” for the LGBTQ+ community.
In addition to Bud Light, the pub also discontinues other Anheuser-Busch brands, including Busch Light and Goose Island 312.
Several other LGBTQ+ activists have suggested that Bud Light will die out.
Mulvany posted the content on the occasion of the NCAA March Madness tournament
Michel Doukeris first addressed the massive backlash over working with trans influencer Mulvaney, 26, in an earnings call with investors on Thursday
In a letter to major retailers, the brewing giant first detailed the backlash after being hit by a major drop in Bud Light sales as a result of the paid partnership
Stacy Lentz, the co-owner of the famous Stonewall Inn where many suggest the modern LGBTQ+ movement began, expressed sympathy for Mulvaney in an interview and believes people like her may start giving up their Bud Lights.
“In terms of marketing, I hope and think they realized that they will be extinct as a brand in a few years if they are not fully on the side of equality, because that is what the Gen Z consumer expects and demands,” said Lentz. .
She also told News week the brewery had “missed an opportunity to honor their commitment to the trans community by pandering to and pandering to transphobic outrage.”
New York City’s haunt, Stonewall Inn was the birthplace of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, widely regarded as the beginning of the LGBTQ+ movement in the United States.
The memorial is no stranger to controversy with the brewer, which refused to serve Bud Light at New York Pride in 2021 over Anheuser-Busch’s donations to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians.
Lentz also said that “this whole thing was not handled well and she got caught in the middle of a terrible firestorm,” showing concern for Mulvaney in the wake of the backlash.
Mulvaney (left) was sent a personalized beer can to mark 365 days since her transition. She documented her journey on TikTok and gained millions of online followers
Mulvaney posted several videos and images to Instagram on April 1 for the paid partnership, sparking widespread criticism. It is not known exactly how much she paid.
Anheuser-Busch reported first-quarter earnings of $1.65 billion, which exceeded Wall Street expectations.
The brewer posted sales of $14.21 billion in that period, which also beat forecasts, with shares up 6 percent year-to-date and 12 percent in 12 months.
It’s unclear whether the boycott has had any impact on these numbers, and whether a greater impact on the company’s finances will be visible for the second quarter of the fiscal year if the controversy and boycotts continue.
Following the April 1 post, Anheuser-Busch lost more than $6 billion in market cap in just six days.
Shares of the beer giant traded roughly with just over a 5 percent drop in total share value and the company’s market capitalization was $113.33 billion.