Former Anheuser-Busch Employees Decry Company’s Handling of Transgender Controversy

(LibertySociety.com) – Former employees of the beer giant Anheuser-Busch have anonymously voiced their opinions on the way the company handled the backlash from partnering with the social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. A firestorm ensued after Mulvaney, who decided in 2022 to begin dressing as a woman, posted a video to thank the company for a one-of-a-kind beer can that depicted Mulvaney’s face. Mulvaney has been accused of portraying women as incapable beings during multiple videos posted to social media. Bud Light drinkers across the nation immediately boycotted the company, which has suffered a 30 percent loss in sales this year.

The former employees complained that the company should have stood up for Mulvaney, as many have worried that something bad would happen to the influencer after they caved to critics. One person said that the company was not diverse enough to handle the situation, stating, “It’s just old white men,” referring to the top executives at the company. Staffers were reportedly thrilled that the company had finally appointed a woman to be the vice president of the marketing department. She has been on a leave of absence since a month after the initial backlash began.

Anheuser-Busch initially defended the partnership, but the backlash persisted. The company then attempted to downplay the controversy with another statement, which appeared to only make the situation worse. The former employees seemed to agree with the critics of the second statement, claiming that “it pretty much said nothing.” Users on social media clung to the effort to destabilize the brand, and for a while, the company went completely silent. The former employees said that the people responsible for the publicity of the brand were instructed to refrain from speaking to the media while they worked to regroup on the matter. Weeks later, the company released a new advertisement that focused on American values. However, one expert in the beer industry believes that some people will never have another Bud Light again.

Copyright 2023, LibertySociety.com