The country star has voiced support for the LGBTQ community since the 1990s.
Topline
Country star Garth Brooks will open a Nashville bar this summer, and he’s angered some right-wing customers by refusing to join in on the boycott of Bud Light, which has been the target of conservative outrage since its brief partnership with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney in April.Key Facts
Brooks discussed his new bar—named Friends in Low Places, after his 1990 hit single—at a Billboard Country Live panel over the weekend, stating it would sell “every brand of beer.”
He appeared to condemn the boycotts against Bud Light, stating: “If you’re an asshole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway,” referring to the street in Nashville that houses many bars and tourist attractions.
Bud Light faced a boycott and a dip in sales from right-wing customers after it sent transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney a customized can with her face on it in early April, though the can was not available for sale, becoming one of many companies targeted for being “woke.”
Nashville bars owned by musicians Kid Rock and John Rich stopped selling Bud Light and other Anheuser-Busch products after both musicians expressed outrage against the company (Kid Rock posted a video in early April of himself shooting Bud Light cans while yelling profanities about the beer and its parent company).
Brooks garnered backlash on social media from conservatives for his plans to sell Bud Light, while supporters praised Brooks and noted he has been a vocal LGBTQ ally for decades.
