Bud Light, the US’s top-selling beer, finds itself in the middle of a controversy after announcing its collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney, a trans rights activist. Read to know more.
All about the controversial Bud Light Collaboration
According to Drizly, an online liquor retailer, Bud Light, owned by Annheuser-Busch is the top-selling beer in America in 2022. The brand is at the center of a new controversy after announcing its collab with Dylan Mulvaney, a trans rights activist, and influencer. Mulvaney shared a sponsored post on her Instagram promoting Bud Light’s March Madness contest. This led to a meltdown as countless videos of consumers dumping their Bud Light products down the sinks, in trash bins, or even violently destroying the cans.
One of the most viral replies to Mulvaney’s post was from Kid Rock. The singer appeared to be shooting crates of the products with a semi-automatic rifle. The singer is seen wearing a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat and heard shouting “F**** Bud Light and f*** Anheuser-Busch.”
More on the outrage against the brand and Dylan Mulvaney
Dylan Mulvaney is an American comedian and artist famous for sharing her transition through daily videos on her TikTok. She came out as a trans woman during the pandemic and started documenting her transition through a TikTok series titled “Days of Girlhood.” It eventually made her go viral, raking over 10 million followers and more than one billion views. Her popularity allowed her to meet President Biden along with other trans artists. Following the sit-down, she became a constant target of abuse and right-wing vitriol. “Dylan Mulvaney, Joe Biden, and radical left-wing lunatics want to make this absurdity normal,” tweeted Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn).
Following the controversy, Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light’s parent company stated it “works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points.” “From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and 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,” revealed the official statement.
Moreover, the LGBTQ+ community has deep ties with Bud Light. LGBTQ+ groups started preferring the brand after a protest against Coors, a rival brand in 1977. The protest was over Coor’s discriminatory hiring practices. Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected to public office in California also brokered a deal with gay bars in San Francisco to stop stocking up on Coors. Additionally, it’s one of the cheapest beers available, making it an obvious choice for many.