After months of silence, Dylan Mulvaney, the transgender influencer involved in the Bud Light fiasco has taken aim at the brand, accusing the company Anheuser-Busch of failing to provide adequate support as he faced public scrutiny.
BITTER BREW: Transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney blasts Bud Light for not supporting her during controversy. https://t.co/jJFvifnGIM pic.twitter.com/QocEFGFlFR
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 30, 2023
Mulvaney, whose social media posts triggered a boycott movement against Bud Light and the beer company as a whole, expressed disappointment that the brand had not reached out to him amidst the cultural firestorm.
In a video statement, he criticized the company, stating that it is worse to hire a transgender individual and not openly support them, as it sends a message of acceptance to customers while fostering an environment of “transphobia” and “hate.”
Dylan Mulvaney breaks his silence following the Bud Light fiasco.
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 30, 2023
“For a company to hire a trans person and not publicly stand by them is worse in my opinion than not hiring a trans person at all. Because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want,” she stated, going on to say that the blowback has “serious and grave consequences” for trans people in general.
These comments from Mulvaney come several months after Bud Light engaged the sponsorship services of the transgender activist, with the company sending him a commemorative beer can featuring his face. However, the gesture backfired, as it incited an intense backlash among conservative consumers, resulting in significant financial losses for Bud Light, both in terms of revenue and market value.
Addressing the boycott against Bud Light, Mulvaney recounted instances of “bullying,” “transphobia,” and public ridicule, claiming to have felt a deep sense of fear that confined him to his home.
“And for months now, I’ve been scared to leave my house, I have been ridiculed in public, I’ve been followed, and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. And I’m not telling you this because I want your pity, I am telling you this because this is my experience from a very privileged perspective, know that it is much, much worse for other trans people,” he claimed.
In an attempt to point out that his role as a Bud Light spokesperson was appropriate, the biological male claimed that he loves beer and asserted that beer is for everyone, including transgender individuals.
“And you know, we’re customers too. I know a lot of trans and queer people who love beer,” he stated, defiantly holding a beer.
Going over the impact of the controversy on the broader LGBTQ+ community, Mulvaney canvassed for support for “every trans person,” even going ahead to ask viewers to donate to a cause for the LGBTQ community.
Mulvaney’s claims that Anheuser-Busch did not reach out to her is a bit shocking as the company, even in the face of the backlash, publicly declared support for the LGBTQ+ community. However, the shock is miniscule given that the company’s CEO Brendan Whitworth recently wriggled his way out of questions regarding if the company will work with the trans influencer in the future.
The company has also been accused of “performative activism” and “performative allyship” as Mulvaney supporters claimed Bud Light did not provide public support for Mulvaney amid the backlash.
