Bud Light faced bomb threats after sending a personalised can of beer to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney before caving to right-wing pressure.

• Bud Light sent a personalised can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, sparking right-wing outrage and bomb threats targeting the company’s facilities.
• Anheuser-Busch put two executives on leave, ultimately giving in to anti-trans terrorism and the power of overreaction.

Bud Light, a popular beer brand under the Anheuser-Busch umbrella, found itself at the centre of an anti-trans tantrum and subjected to threats in the aftermath of a simple gesture of goodwill toward transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The subsequent chain of events shows how Bud Light caved under pressure from right-wing attacks and resorted to putting two of their executives on leave, ultimately giving in to a form of terrorism that included a series of bomb threats.

Contrary to some reports, Bud Light did not even launch a full-fledged marketing campaign featuring Mulvaney. Instead, they sent her a personalised can with her face on it as a one-off gift to celebrate a personal milestone.

However, this act of kindness (that they no doubt hoped she would promote to her large personal following) was met with unrelenting outrage and backlash from conservative circles, who called for a boycott of the brand, when they weren’t shooting it up.

Yes indeedy, the ‘wah wah cancel culture’ crew were once again calling for something to be cancelled.

Amidst the snowflakes having their tantrum, Bud Light’s sales slumped as calls for a boycott were made loudly. The brand’s sales saw a 17% drop in the week ending on April 15, according to Beer Business Daily but the situation is likely to have less of a long-term impact on the company’s business, as Bud Light was already experiencing a decline in sales.

That being said, the coverage has brought widespread attention to the brand, which could have resulted in an uptick in sales, as we tend to see when the shouty shout a lot about trans people. Despite loads of people saying they would close their Halifax accounts when they brought in optional pronouns for staff badges, for instance, the bank saw a net gain in customers after telling those who didn’t like it that they could ‘close their accounts’.

But Anheuser-Busch caved, therefore ensuring they annoyed everybody.

In response to the bomb threats and anti-Bud Light campaign online, they put two of their executives, Alissa Heinerscheid and Daniel Blake who had sent the promotional can, on a leave of absence. There is no other way to view this move other than the company succumbing to right-wing pressure and, ultimately, a form of terrorism, with bomb threats targeting their facilities in Los Angeles and other locations across the country.

Anheuser-Busch, however, described the move as taking steps to streamline the structure of its marketing function.

Of course it was.

These bomb threats added a sinister, but not unusual dimension to the situation when anti-trans nuggets are involved. Several Anheuser-Busch facilities received threatening phone calls and letters.

Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, were called in to investigate the threats, and although no actual explosives were found, the incidents caused significant disruption to the company’s operations and instilled fear among employees.

All over one beer can.

It is important to highlight again the right-wing uproar was based on a misinterpretation of the situation, as Bud Light had not initiated a marketing campaign featuring Mulvaney.

Even if they had, would this sort of response every have been warranted? Of course not.

These are not reasonable people with ‘valid concerns’ and the media and public need to stop treating them as such and start treating them for what they are – people who seek to do nothing but terrorise trans people, no matter what we are doing.

They are terrorists, and the message they’ve now been given is that terrorism works.

Superb job, Bud!