Anheuser-Busch (BUDFF) is doubling down on support for a pro-LGBTQ+ organization amid recent backlash.
Bud Light announced on Tuesday, May 30 that it would be extending its partnership with the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce which started last year. The brewing company is also donating $200,000 to the NGLCC for the second year in a row.
“Today, Bud Light and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the exclusive certifying body for LGBT-owned businesses, announce they are extending their partnership to continue supporting economic opportunities and advancements for LGBTQ+ Americans and business owners across the country,” Anheuser-Busch said in a statement.
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The statement says that the donation from Bud Light will go to NGLCC’s Communities of Color Initiative which supports LGBTQ+ owned businesses, including a CoCi Biz Pitch competition that could lead to up to $50,000 in cash and prizes.
The move from Bud Light comes amid massive backlash from conservatives and anti-LGBTQ+ slamming Anheuser-Busch with claims of being “woke” or creating a culture war. The controversy started after Bud Light partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a March Madness-themed post on April 1.
Anheuser-Busch stance on the controversy remains unclear. Bud Light has seen massive dips in its sales in the past months, and it also reportedly suspended a pair of executives in charge of promotion with Mulvaney, according to the New York Times.
However, Bud Light has still decided to push through with this NGLCC partnership, and is still slated to be an alcohol sponsor for Cincinatti’s Pride Festival in June.
Mulvaney has also not posted any advertisements for the brand since the April 1 post. Her team did not respond to a request for comment from The Street.
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