People are praising Bud Light for its ongoing support of the LGBTQ community after the beer brand partnered with trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney.
This week, Mulvaney, who has gained recognition for her documentation of her transition over the past year, which has seen her film each day “of being a girl,” announced the partnership in a video posted to Instagram.
In the video, Mulvaney, who could be seen sitting in front of multiple cans of Bud Light while dressed like Audrey Hepburn’s character in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in a black dress and black opera-length gloves, revealed that she had partnered with the company for March Madness.
“So, I kept hearing about this thing called March Madness, and I thought we were all just having a hectic month!” Mulvaney joked as she opened one of the cans of beer. “But it turns out it has something to do with sports. And I’m not sure exactly which sport, but either way it’s a cause to celebrate.”
The influencer then noted that this month she celebrated her 365th day of “womanhood,” and that Bud Light sent her “possibly the best gift ever” in celebration - a can of Bud Light emblazoned with her face.
“This wasn’t on my bingo board but it’s now my most prized possession,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories of the customised can.
After encouraging her fans and followers to view details on her Instagram to learn more about the partnership, and the possibility of winning money from Bud Light during the basketball tournament, Mulvaney concluded the video with a “cheers” and a “go team!”
In another video from the campaign, which appears to have expired but which has been posted on Twitter, Mulvaney could be seen holding a can of Bud Light beer while sitting in a bubble bath and dancing.
The partnership between the TikTok star and the Anheuser-Busch-owned company has since been met with an outpouring of support and praise, with many of Mulvaney’s fans applauding the beer brand for its allyship.
“Guess I have to start buying Bud Light again. We are all human, we all deserve representation. Thanks for being an ally,” one person tweeted.
Another said: “Yeah to #BudLight [being an] ally. Heading out to get a case in support of Dylan Mulvaney.”
“We love Dylan! Thank you @BudLight for showing your love and support. #TransRightsAreHumanRights,” someone else tweeted.
Others noted that the brand has a long history of support for the LGBTQ community, with one person pointing out that “Bud Light has been an ally and sponsor for Pride events for two decades”.
In 2019, Bud Light announced it would be releasing rainbow-inspired bottles in partnership with GLAAD to celebrate World Pride, and that for every case of rainbow bottles sold, it would donate to GLAAD “to assist in their efforts of creating a world where everyone can live the life they love”.
At the time, the company also acknowledged that the rainbow bottles were the “latest effort in a 20-year partnership between Bud Light and GLAAD”.
The brand partnership between Mulvaney and Bud Light comes amid a recent push by conservative groups across the US to pass anti-trans bills, and amid Republican-backed efforts to pass anti-drag bills, which many have deemed anti-LGBTQ.
While many have commended Bud Light’s recent campaign, others, such as Kid Rock, have been critical of the brand’s decision to partner with Mulvaney, with the singer filming himself shooting four cases of Bud Light in apparent protest.
“Grandpa’s feeling a little frisky today. Let me say something to all of you and be as clear and concise as possible,” the 52-year-old said in the video posted to Twitter on Monday, which has since prompted widespread mocking on social media.
“Imagine how sad your life has to be to spend time doing this,” one person commented under the video, while another said: “What a bizarrely hateful and violent reaction to Budweiser partnering with a trans activist. The man needs serious help.”
“You actually had to buy beer before you showed your ignorance,” someone else wrote. “So you still supported @AnheuserBusch you waste of space.”
In a statement to Fox News, Bud Light said that it works with “hundreds of influencers” as a way to “authentically connect with audiences across various demographics,” and that it had gifted the bespoke Bud Light can to Mulvaney to “celebrate a personal milestone”.
“Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points,” the spokesperson said. “From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
The Independent has contacted representatives for Mulvaney and Bud Light for comment.
