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Right-wingers called to boycott Bud Light after it partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
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Even Kid Rock got involved and filmed himself shooting a case of the beer.
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But the company stood by its choice, saying the partnership was a gift to celebrate Mulvaney.
Prominent conservatives demanded a boycott of Bud Light after it partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, with Kid Rock getting involved to film himself shooting up cases of the beer in protest.
But the company stood by its choice in a recent statement, saying the sponsorship was a gift to Mulvaney to celebrate her “milestone” after a year of identifying as a woman.
Mulvaney, 26, posted a video to her Instagram on Monday in which she said Bud Light had sent her a can of the beer with her face on to celebrate.
Mulvaney rose to fame as a TikTok star for humorous skits and bubbly personality, but saw her followers rise exponentially after she came out as transgender a year ago and started documenting every day “of being a girl.” She currently has more than 10 million followers on the platform.
The backlash to Mulvaney’s video started almost immediately, with some people saying Bud Light should “know their audience” and avoid Mulvaney, or that “the majority of your drinkers are going to cancel you.”
Prominent conservatives to take issue with the partnership include Ben Shaprio, who reacted with shock on TikTok, and retweeted criticisms on Mulvaney, and the writer Ian Miles Cheong.
Divisive internet personality Oli London, who recently said he had de-transitioned back to a man from a woman, misgendered Mulvaney in a string of tweets, and accused her of “mocking women.”
The negativity spread across social media, with anti-trans accounts expressing anger at the partnership. In some posts, people threw away whole cases of Bud Light, while others called for a boycott.
In response, Mulvaney’s supporters mocked the uproar, likening the responses of mostly grown men to toddler tantrums.
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch, the brewing company that owns Bud Light, stood by its choice to support Mulvaney.
“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,” they 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.”
Mulvaney, who recently underwent facial feminization surgery, has not responded to the drama, and rarely responds to online criticism.
In October, Mulvaney did respond to comments made by Caitlyn Jenner, who called Mulvaney an “absurdity,” and accused her of “exposing” herself in public. Mulvaney said the comments provoked abuse and death threats.
“I wanted to reclaim my body in a positive way, and now you’ve taken that and you turned it into something really ugly,” Mulvaney said, urging Jenner to think back to her own early days of transition.
“You have personally subjected me to thousands and thousands of hateful eyes, a number of which could very well want to hurt me, and that’s the power you have.”
Since the Bud Light backlash, Mulvaney has continued posting photos of her recent vacation to Copenhagen, and a new partnership with Nike.
“Alert the media — I’m entering my workout era,” Mulvaney said, posing in a Nike sports bra and leggings.
Insider reached out to Mulvaney’s representatives for comment.
Read the original article on Insider
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