Controversial transgender influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, recently expressed disappointment with beer giant Bud Light for their alleged failure to defend him amid a wave of backlash triggered by a sponsored marketing engagement. In a video posted on Thursday, Mulvaney, who identifies as a woman, claimed that Bud Light’s inaction had allowed transphobia to flourish, leading to personal hardships and negative consequences for the wider LGBTQ+ community.
The controversy arose from a paid brand deal in which Mulvaney promoted a special Bud Light can featuring his face. Despite expecting nothing more than a routine Instagram video, the ad became the center of attention, attracting what Mulvaney described as an unexpectedly intense level of bullying and transphobic comments.
Addressing his concerns, Mulvaney explained that he had delayed making the video for fear of further backlash, and expressed guilt for the negative outcomes that followed. He recounted instances of public ridicule and harassment, expressing his frustration at Bud Light’s failure to reach out to him in support.
Mulvaney emphasized the significance of a company publicly standing by its transgender employees, asserting that it was worse to hire a trans person and then remain silent in the face of adversity than to not hire them at all. According to him, such silence from the company only emboldened customers to express transphobic sentiments, resulting in severe consequences for the wider transgender and queer communities. Mulvaney appealed to the fact that these communities were also consumers and should not be ignored.
“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse in my opinion than not hiring a trans person at all,” he later added. “Because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want. And the hate doesn’t end with me, it has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community. And, you know, we’re customers, too. I know a lot of trans and queer people who love beer, and I have some lesbian friends who could drink some of those haters under the table. But to turn a blind eye and pretend everything is okay. It just isn’t an option right now.”
“There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us,” he continued.
He argued against the notion that working with transgender individuals was a political or divisive issue, stating that there should be nothing controversial about collaborating with the LGBTQ+ community. Mulvaney called for Bud Light and other brands to actively support and defend transgender individuals, highlighting the grave consequences that arise when they fail to do so.
Bud Light has yet to respond publicly to Mulvaney’s allegations or provide a statement regarding their stance on the matter. The company’s market value reportedly suffered significant losses as a result of the controversy, although specific figures have not been disclosed.
Dylan made himself the mascot of transgenderism, profited immensely from it, used his platform to push for the mutilation of children, and then experienced a completely justified backlash. I have no sympathy for him. https://t.co/WrkrPecUvs
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) June 29, 2023
