An Indiana bar that banned any talk of the Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney controversy lost many customers and now wants to bring them back.
After the controversy began last month, the Fairfax Bar & Grill in Bloomington banned their customers from talking anything ‘negative’ against the trans influencer and Bud Light. In order to do so, the officials told their customers if they brought the topic up in the bar establishment, they would be asked to leave ‘immediately.’
The establishment wanted to censor opinions as they were reportedly ‘tired of the hate.’ However, the decision backfired, and many people who regularly visited the bar before the ban stopped going there altogether.
It all started at the start of April 2023, when Mulvaney, 26, who gained millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram after transitioning into ‘girlhood,’ sparked controversy when brands like Nike and Bud Light announced her as their new spokesperson last month.
On April 2, Dylan, a biologically male individual who began transitioning from man to woman in 2021, shared a promotional video for Bud Lights on her Instagram and told her 1.8 million followers that she is so proud to be the brand’s newest spokesperson.
“Happy March Madness!! Just found out this had to do with sports, and not just saying it’s a crazy month! In celebration of this sports thing @budlight is giving you the chance to win $15,000! Share a video with #EasyCarryContest for a chance to win!! Good luck! #budlightpartner,” the caption read.
The posts received massive outrage and critical remarks from conservatives who accused the brands of pushing ‘gender propaganda’ per New York Post.
“Fellow trans woman Caitlyn Jenner slammed Nike for going ‘woke,’ and country music singer John Rich pulled cases of Bud Light from his Nashville bar.”
The partnership also caused the sales of the brand to plummet after many people, including musicians like Kid Rock and Country singers John Rich and Travis Tritt, severed ties with the brand.
Although two sources close to the controversy later revealed to The Daily Wire that no senior person at the company knew that a brand partnership was made with the Trans activist, the backlash still hasn’t stopped.
“No one at a senior level was aware this was happening,” one source revealed.
“Some low-level marketing staffer who helps manage the hundreds of influencer engagements they do must have thought it was no big deal. Obviously it was, and it’s a shame because they have a well-earned reputation for just being America’s beer — not a political company. It was a mistake.”
According to a second source, “the company was likely going to implement a more “robust” process for evaluating controversial figures in the future to avoid another public relations nightmare.”
Amid the outrage, the brand’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch (AB) has lost billions of dollars.
However, AB chose to support Bud Light’s decision to team up with Dylan to make the brand ‘more inclusive’ and describe it as an attempt to “authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points.”
“Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics,” the statement read.
“From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
Now the Fairfax Bar in Indiana retracted their previous statement of not allowing any discussion related to the controversy and said people are free to share their views on anything they like.
“A lot has been said – some correct, and some incorrect – and I want to clarify my stance,” the bar official wrote in their Facebook statement.
“What I really want to convey is this: just be respectful. Different opinions are welcome here as long as they are delivered respectfully. We’d no more want ugly, aggressive or rude interactions about which sports team someone thinks is better, than about societal issues.”
The statement continued, “We do not and will not censor opinions, but we do require civility in this establishment.”
“So if you can’t play nice, then get out of the sandbox. That goes for everyone! Let’s remember why we even gather at a bar – to enjoy each other’s company – and raise a glass to civility.”
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
