The transgender activist at the center of the Bud Light controversy has denounced the company, prompting a response from Anheuser-Busch.
Dylan Mulvaney, whose inclusion in a marketing gimmick sparked widespread and economically damaging boycotts of Bud Light, has attacked the company for allegedly failing to provide them with enough support after the backlash.
Mulvaney was born a biological male but currently identifies as a woman. The inclusion of the transgender activist in the ill-fated branding partnership with the beverage company prompted accusations that Anheuser-Busch was taking sides in a culture war issue.
Since the massive boycotts, Anheuser-Busch, which owns Bud Light, has largely distanced itself from Mulvaney and separated from the parties responsible for the marketing partnership, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
In a four-minute TikTok video, the transgender activist claimed they were surprised the controversy had gotten so much attention, explaining that their latest video addressing the controversy would have been made earlier, but fear of more backlash caused them to hesitate.
“And I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me but they never did, and for months now I’ve been scared to leave my house. I have been ridiculed in public. I have been followed, and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” Mulvaney said.
“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse, in my opinion, than not hiring a trans person at all because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want,” the transgender activist alleged. “And the hate doesn’t end with me it has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community.”
Mulvaney argued that there should not be anything controversial about companies working with transgender people and using them in marketing campaigns.
In a response to the video, Anheuser-Busch stated, “As we’ve said, we remain committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.”
“The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers,” the company concluded.
Since the boycott began, Bud Light has fallen from its former status as America’s most popular beer, as reported by The Dallas Express. Instead, Modelo has stepped into the position.
Furthermore, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has called for an investigation into Bud Light for potentially violating industry standards that prevent alcoholic beverages from being marketed to primarily underage audiences, in light of the fact that Mulvaney’s target audience mainly comprises minors.
“The evidence detailed below overwhelmingly shows that Dylan Mulvaney’s audience skews significantly younger than the legal drinking age and violates the Beer Institute’s Advertising/Marketing Code and Buying Guidelines,” wrote Cruz in a letter to Anheuser-Busch executive and Beer Institute Chairman Brendan Whitworth, requesting him to launch a probe into Bud Light’s partnership with Mulvaney.