Letter To The Editor: Bud Light Has Been Canceled

LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The following letter comes from Brandon Russell of Leonardtown.

“Bud Light has been canceled. At one time, residents of St. Mary’s proudly shared the history of the ten ounce Bud Light. Now, so many people are angry over a Bud Light promotion they’ve stopped drinking the beer. The situation has risen to the level of harming a local business. I’ve seen a few establishments advertising specials on beer, specifically mentioning the intention of helping Guy Distributing. 

Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Bud Light, has a net worth of nearly $107 Billion. They don’t care about your protests. Why? Because it’s all publicity, marketing. The promotion that caused a controversy featured the face of Dylan Mulvaney, a transwoman, on a can of Bud Light. The can with Mulvaney’s face was not mass produced, or available for purchase in the marketplace–it was only sent to her as a commemorative item. It was an attempt by the company to support transgender rights while simultaneously marketing to the LGBTQ+ community. 

Each year companies across the globe gear up their official Pride merchandise. The strategy of marketing to the LGBTQ+ community is called Rainbow Capitalism. Companies who market to the LGBTQ+ population appear supportive, but many of them, including Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch, have a history of financially supporting politicians who are anti LGBTQ+. 

If you’ve protested Bud Light by pouring it out, not buying it, or otherwise disposing of it, you’ve got company. Matt Morgan and several other state delegates came out against the beer in an April press release. LGBTQ+ people have been protesting Bud Light for years. Stonewall Inn, the location of a historic gay rights uprising, hosted a Bud Light “Pour Out” as recently as 2021. So if you’re protesting Bud Light now because of….well, we know your reason, welcome to the protest club!

Despite all these efforts, every year Bud Light (and many other beer companies) will continue to sponsor LGBTQ+ Pride events while at the same time donating to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians and interest groups. If you’re protesting Bud Light but didn’t vote in the election last year—you’re doing this wrong.

To truly protest any company that supports LGBTQ+ Pride, you’d need to stop shopping at Target, Walmart, Petsmart, HomeGoods, and tons of other stores; stop flying on pretty much any American based airline; don’t buy vehicles from any major brand; if you’re buying Coors, stop (they’ve been supporting the LGBTQ+ community for decades); if you’re riding a John Deere, get off. I could go on and on. 

As for Anheuser-Busch, they own or have a stake in Corona, Stella Artois, Michelob Ultra, Busch, Natural, countless other seasonal or specialty brands, and they also assist in bottling and distribution with several PepsiCo products including Pepsi, 7UP, and Gatorade. Once you’ve disassociated yourself from all of these various companies or brands, how hard has life become?

Which brings me back to Guy Distributing. This company has a long legacy in St. Mary’s County. If you’re protesting Bud Light you’re affecting local businesses the most, not Anheuser-Busch. So rather than directing your hate towards a major corporation that doesn’t care, take a step back and wonder if maybe you could direct that energy elsewhere in a more positive manner. 

Stop being distracted by useless national talking points and get involved in your community. Pay attention to the local government that makes decisions about your tax rates. Watch whether or not your elected officials produce results. Every choice made by local officials affects you.”

Brandon Russell

Leonardtown, MD