Minneapolis gay bar drops Bud Light in response to Dylan Mulvaney controversy

Bud Light and other Anheuser-Busch beers will no longer be available at the Saloon, the Minneapolis gay bar announced Monday.

“Anheuser-Busch had an opportunity to support a marginalized community in a way that few other corporations have attempted, but they abandoned that direction. We view that as unacceptable,” said owner John Moore in a news release. In place of Bud Light, the Saloon is adding beers from local breweries Modist Brewing Co. and Bauhaus Brew Labs.

Bud Light came under fire in April after the company sent transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney a can of the beer with her image on it. Mulvaney, who claims more than 12 million followers across her TikTok and Instagram accounts, posted a brief video to Instagram showing the custom-made can:

Soon after, far right commentators like Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh began calling for a Bud Light boycott. Kid Rock posted a video to Instagram showing himself shooting at a case of Bud Light.

Four days after Mulvaney’s video went live, Anheuser-Busch released a statement to BuzzFeed News explaining that the company “works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics. From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”

But that did little to quell the backlash. On April 14, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released another statement that many saw as the company backtracking its support for LGBTQ people. “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people,” it read, in part. “We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.” By the end of the month, two of the company’s marketing executives took leaves of absence.

In response, the country’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, the Human Rights Campaign, removed Anheuser-Busch from its “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality” list. Earlier this month, the HRC declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ people and released a guidebook pointing to laws it deems discriminatory in each state, along with “know your rights” information and resources to help people relocate to states with stronger LGBTQ protections.

The boycotts have cost Anheuser-Busch, which also produces a series of other beers including Michelob Golden Light and Michelob Ultra. Last month, Modelo Especial replaced Bud Light as the best-selling beer brand in the country. According to Insider, Bud Light sales dropped by 23 percent last month.

The anti-LGBTQ furor has continued, with Target facing criticism for carrying Pride merchandise in stores and online. Like Anheuser-Busch, Target ultimately backed down and removed several items for sale.

Mulvaney addressed the controversy in a TikTok post in late April. “I think it’s okay to be frustrated with someone or confused, but what I’m struggling to understand is the need to dehumanize and to be cruel,” she said in the video.

June is Pride month in the United States, with events celebrating LGBTQ people held throughout the month. The metro’s largest Pride event, Twin Cities Pride, takes place this weekend in and around Loring Park in downtown Minneapolis.

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