Chicago gay bar refuses to sell Bud Light beer products amid Dylan Mulvaney controversy

• Chicago gay bar, 2Bears Tavern Group, announced Thursday that it will no longer serve Bud Light
• Bar officials condemned the beer company’s “abandoned” support for their partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney
• It comes as Anheuser-Busch reported a 26 percent drop in sales due to setbacks

Chicago gay bars vowed not to sell Bud Light after Anheuser-Busch backed out of their involvement with Dylan Mulvaney amid sales tanking by 26 percent.

The bar with four locations throughout the Windy City, 2Bears Tavern Group, condemned Anheuser-Busch after the company “abandoned” its support of Mulvaney, 26, on Thursday.

Beer company CEO Michel Doukeris addressed the mass backlash last week, claiming the partnership with Mulvaney was “not a formal campaign or advertisement.”

2Bears Tavern Group called Doukeris’ response to the allegation “cruel” and “hateful”, while insisting the beer company was simply feeding “anti-trans” criticism.

The conflict comes more than a month after the beer company partnered with Mulvaney in March to celebrate her first year as a trans woman.

Doukeris downplayed the partnership with the trans influencer during a Thursday earnings call with investors.

“We need to clarify the facts that this was one camp, one influencer, one post and not a campaign,” Doukeris said.

The CEO sought to repair the tattered brand after announcing that the partnership was tainting the company and reducing sales. The collaboration also led to two market managers taking leave amid setbacks.

The disastrous marketing bid has caused sales for the US flagship to drop 26 percent, despite Anheuser-Busch reporting earnings of $1.65 billion in the first quarter.

Investors were also told by Doukeris that Bud Light will triple its marketing spend this summer in an effort to lure customers back to the tarnished brand.

“We will continue to learn, meet the moment in time, all be stronger and we work tirelessly to do what we do best: Bring people together over a beer and create a future with more cheer,” said Doukeris.

Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ Chicago pub slammed Doukeris’ damage control efforts as an “attack” on the country.

“Anheuser-Busch’s decision to drop its support for Mulvaney in response to the ignorant and hateful objections of some of its customers shows how little Anheuser-Busch cares about the LGBTQIA+ community, and transgender people in particular, who have been under relentless attack in this country. ,’ the bar wrote in a statement.

“CEO Brendan Whitworth’s apology that Anheuser-Busch “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people” was tantamount to saying that transgender rights and safety are topics worth discussing.

Law enforcement officials further ridiculed Doukeris for his lack of “care” for the LGBTQ+ community.

Aside from Bud Light, the pub will also be discontinuing other Anheuser-Busch brands, including Busch Light and Goose Island 312.

Several other LGBTQ+ activists have suggested that Bud Light will die out.

Stacy Lentz, the co-owner of the famous Stonewall Inn where many suggest the modern LGBTQ+ movement started, expressed sympathy for Mulvaney in an interview and believes people like her might start giving up Bud Lights.

“In terms of marketing, I hope and I think they realized that they as a brand will be extinct in a few years if they’re not completely on the equality side, because that’s what the Gen Z consumer expects and demands,” Lentz said.

She also told Newsweek that the brewery had “missed an opportunity to stand by their commitment to the trans community by giving in to transphobic cries.”

The Stonewall Inn, the New York City haunt, was where the 1969 Stonewall Riots were launched, considered the beginning of the LGBTQ+ movement in the United States.

The landmark is no stranger to controversy with the brewer, refusing to serve Bud Light during New York Pride in 2021 due to Anheuser-Busch’s donations to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians.

Lentz also said “this whole thing was not handled well and she got caught in the middle of a horrible firestorm,” and expressed concern for Mulvaney in the wake of the backlash.

Mulvaney posted several videos and photos on Instagram for the paid partnership on April 1, prompting an uproar of criticism. It is unknown exactly how much she was paid.

Anheuser-Busch reported first-quarter earnings of $1.65 billion, which topped Wall Street expectations.

The brewery posted revenue of $14.21 billion in the period, which also beat forecasts, with shares up 6 percent year-to-date and 12 percent in the 12 months.

It is unclear whether the boycott had any impact on those numbers, and whether a larger impact on the firm’s finances will be visible for the second quarter of the fiscal year if the controversy and boycotts rumble on.

After the April 1 post, Anheuser-Busch lost more than $6 billion in market value in just six days.

The beer giant’s shares traded roughly at a decline of just over 5 percent in total share value, and the company’s market value was $113.33 billion.