Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@dylanmulvaney/NurPhoto / Contributor
Topics: Dylan Mulvaney, TikTok, LGBTQ, Food and Drink
Ben Thompson
Topics: Dylan Mulvaney, TikTok, LGBTQ, Food and Drink
Bud Light has responded after Dylan Mulvaney claimed the company didn't reach out to her when she experienced an online backlash following their campaign.
Mulvaney, 26, recently spoke out about the debacle that ensued after Bud Light sent her a can of beer featuring her face to celebrate her first full year as an 'out-and-proud trans woman'.
The move, which is believed to have cost them $20 million in market cap value, prompted a wave of backlash due to Mulvaney's advocacy for transgender rights.
Advert
Talking to her millions of followers on social media yesterday (29 June), Mulvaney said: "I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did. I've been scared to leave my house.
"For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all."
Anheuser-Busch, who make Bud Light, has since shared a statement where it reasserted its commitment to strengthening its relationship with the LGBTQ community.
The statement read: "The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority.
"As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best - brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers."
Though Bud Light didn't name Mulvaney directly, the statement came after she hit out at the company for not supporting her.
This came days after CEO Brendan Whitworth refused to say whether or not the company would work with Mulvaney again.
Rather than answer if he'd send the trans activist another can, during an appearance on CBS Mornings he spoke about wanting to 'understand the consumer' better.
As Mulvaney reflected on the backlash she received, she revealed that she had hidden the infamous can somewhere in her house and was unable to retrieve it.
The influencer said: "I realized that I needed to protect this can so I hid it somewhere and I can't find it because I hid it so well.
"But when I do find it, I feel like it needs to go in a museum, preferably behind bullet-proof glass.
"One thing I will not tolerate people saying about me is that I don't like beer because I love beer and I always have."
Elsewhere in the video, she said: "It gives customers permission to be as transphobic and as hateful as they want. There's should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us.
"I have been ridiculed in public I've been followed and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn't wish on anyone."
Mulvaney rose to prominence on TikTok by documenting her gender transition.
Although she has many supporters and fans, she has also attracted criticism and condemnation online.