Bud Light has been embroiled in controversy for months after it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on a beer promotion, causing angry conservatives and anti-LGBTQ+ activists to call for boycotts of the beer brand.
Since April 1, when Mulvaney posted a video about the promotion, the brand has been dealing with the fallout: Not only have sales dropped, but Bud Light executives have been placed on leave; employees and distributors have reported incidents of harassment from customers, and the anti-LGBTQ+ backlash has spread to other brands.
But Bud Light sales may be on the rebound in the US. Since early June, the percentage of Bud Light consumers who said they were “very unlikely” to buy the beer within the next couple months has dwindled from 18% to 3%, according to a survey from Deutsche Bank.
Here’s a timeline on how the backlash started, and how anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments have impacted other major retailers, including Target and The North Face.
In April, social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who is transgender, posted a video on her Instagram featuring Bud Light beer.
In the video, Mulvaney, 26, talked about a March Madness contest sponsored by Bud Light, and how she was celebrating her “day 365 of womanhood.” She said the brand sent her the beer cans, including one that featured a custom design of her face, to celebrate her one year of transitioning.
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