People are furious that a message from the Anheuser-Busch CEO didn’t offer an apology.
Anheuser-Busch responded publicly to a boycott of its Bud Light products on Friday, and the statement further infuriated conservatives boycotting the beer because it didn’t include an apology.
Some conservatives have shunned Bud Light for nearly two weeks after influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender woman, shared a video on her Instagram announcing that Bud Light had sent her a personalized beer can with Mulvaney’s face on it. The can was sent to Mulvaney in celebration of her first anniversary since she transitioned.
Conservatives took Anheuser-Busch’s support of Mulvaney personally and boycotted the product. Several celebrities, including musician Kid Rock, and supporters of Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake were among the conservatives who refused to drink Bud Light after Mulvaney’s video. In one bar, the controversy was leading to verbal altercations between customers.
Nearly two weeks after Mulvaney’s video went viral, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth issued his first official statement on the topic, which Anheuser-Busch tweeted.
But the message didn’t overtly support one side or the other. The message itself did not mention the term “LGBTQ+” nor did it mention the LGBTQ+ community, but did call out others.
“We have thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere,” Whitworth wrote in the statement.
Now, both sides are upset all over again.
Conservatives are expressing their disbelief on social media that Whitworth didn’t apologize for the company’s support of Mulvaney.
