The head of Anheuser-Busch has responded to the uproar over the beer brand’s recent collaboration with a transgender social media influencer, noting that the company aims to bring “people together over a beer.”
“We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people,” CEO Brendan Whitworth wrote in a statement released Friday afternoon. “Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.”
The statement comes after the beer company received backlash for partnering with TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney to promote a contest.
In a video posted to Mulvaney’s Instagram, the transgender influencer shows off a personalized Bud Light can with an image of her face printed on the front and discusses the company’s $15,000 giveaway tied to March Madness.
Some conservatives called for a boycott of Bud Light beer after the video was posted.
Musician Kid Rock posted to Twitter a video of him shooting at cans of Bud Light, and country artist Travis Tritt said he would ban Anheuser-Busch products from his tour.
The backlash comes amid a rise in anti-trans legislation.
Previously, Anheuser-Busch has received backlash for donating to legislators whose bills discriminate against transgender youths. The Stonewall Inn, New York City’s landmark LGBTQ bar, in 2021 said it would not serve beer from Anheuser-Busch during NYC Pride.
‘I’m an easy target’
Mulvaney has also faced backlash for a partnership with Nike. The athletic brand asked people on social media to be kind and inclusive while noting that messages with hate speech and bullying would be deleted.
Mulvaney didn’t address the Bud Light backlash but discussed receiving criticism in an episode of iHeartRadio’s “Onward with Rosie O’Donnell” podcast that aired earlier this week.
“The reason that I think I’m so, I’m an easy target, is because I’m so new to this,” she said in the podcast. “I think going after a trans woman that’s been doing this for like 20 years is a lot more difficult. So I think maybe they think that there’s some sort of chance with me.”
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