Another gay bar dropped Bud Light following the controversy surrounding the beer brand’s partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. The decision by the Minneapolis bar follows a similar ban at a series of Chicago-area bars.
The Saloon, a Minneapolis gay bar, stated that it would no longer serve Anheuser-Busch products.
The bar’s owner John Moore said that the company “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.”
Even gay bars dropping Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch will have to soon BK Bud Light and rebirth with new brand name. Bud Light is dead. Unrecoverable. It was ruled SUICIDE. https://t.co/mRcd4H3rRf
— Wayne Root – Wayne Allyn Root – TV & Radio Host (@RealWayneRoot) June 20, 2023
The Minneapolis bar’s decision comes during a wider backlash among other gay-oriented establishments.
Last month, five Illinois bars announced that they would be dropping Anheuser-Busch products, even beyond Bud Light. The dropping of the brands came after the marketing official responsible for the Mulvaney sponsorship took a leave of absence.
Sidetrack Bar in Chicago stated that it was dropping the beers due to “actions and statements taken by Anheuser-Busch which strongly bring into question their support of the LGBTQ+ community.”
The bar said that it must “hold brands accountable if they take active steps against LGBTQ+ equality, visibility and safety.”
The statement said that the end of the Mulvaney campaign “wrongfully validates the position that it is acceptable to acquiesce to the demands of those who do not support the Trans Community and wish to erase LGBTQ+ visibility.”
“Until Anheuser-Busch can clearly demonstrate that they will not acquiesce to the voice of hate that wishes to erase LGBTQ+ existence, Sidetrack will continue to boycott their products,” the bar said.
Another chain of three Illinois gay bars announced that it would be dropping Anheuser-Busch products, as well.
Bud Light suffered a sharp drop in overall sales following the announced partnership with Mulvaney. Following a sustained boycott of the product, Bud Light recently lost its title as the most-sold beer brand in the country.
The ongoing boycott has caused a significant drop in Anheuser-Busch InBev’s stock.
In addition, Bud Light’s Twitter account has only tweeted once since the start of the April marketing push.
