Chicago gay bars BAN Anheuser-Busch products after company pulled support for Dylan Mulvaney campaign
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Some gay bars in Chicago have decided to cut ties with Bud Light after the beer company seemed to have withdrawn its support to Dylan Mulvaney following the backlash. 2Bears Tavern Group, the owner of four LGBTQIA+ bars in the city, claimed in a statement that it was “discontinuing all Anheuser-Busch InBev products”.
Mark Robertson and Mike Sullivan, the co-owners of 2Bears Tavern Group, posted on Instagram, “In view of Anheuser-Busch InBev's abandonment of its support of transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, the subsequent reprehensible and divisive comments by its CEO, and Anheuser-Busch putting on involuntary leave at least two marketing executives involved in the marketing campaign that celebrated Mulvaney's transgender journey, 2Bears Tavern Group is discontinuing all Anheuser-Busch InBev products, including Busch Light, Bud Light, and Goose Island 312.”
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‘You cannot claim to support the LGBTQIA+ community if you don't support the T’
The owners continued, “Anheuser-Busch's decision to drop its support of Mulvaney in response to ignorant and hateful objections by some of its customers shows how little Anheuser-Busch cares about the LGBTQIA+ community, and in particular transgender people, who have been under unrelenting attack in this country.”
Robertson and Sullivan also mentioned CEO Brendan Whitworth's statement following the backlash, which said, “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
The pair noted, “Whitworth’s excuse was tantamount to saying that the rights and safety of transgender people are topics worthy of debate. They are not. You cannot claim to support the LGBTQIA+ community if you don't support the T. And saying that the rights and safety of transgender people are controversial says loud and clearly you don't support us.”
“We gave Anheuser-Busch some time to revisit its position hoping it would realize it acted in haste. It did not. Instead, it went further in the wrong direction, apparently seeking to punish the people who came up with the plan to recognize Mulvaney in the first place by placing several of them on leave. That speaks volumes as to how far AB will go to placate those in this country who sow hate and division,” 2Bears Tavern Group added.
‘Sidetrack will cease the sale of Anheuser Busch products’
The controversy surrounding the beer firm has been going on for months after Bud Light put a photo of Mulvaney on one of its cans. Amid the backlash, Anheuser-Busch appeared to be distancing itself from Mulvaney. It also placed two of its executives on leave, which has not been appreciated by many, including Sidetrack, another gay club in Chicago.
Sidetrack’s statement read, “Bud Light's recent decision to drop the Dylan Mulvaney campaign, to put on "leave" those who created it, as well as the statement by its CEO, 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. In light of this, Sidetrack will cease the sale of Anheuser Busch products including Bud, Bud Light, and Goose Island 312.”
It added, “Until Anheuser-Busch can clearly demonstrate that they will not acquiesce to the voices of hate that wish to erase LGBTQ+ existence, Sidetrack will continue to boycott their products. Until then, Sidetrack will continue to partner with brands that work to give back to the LGBTQ+ Community.”