After the Chicago Police Department’s official Twitter account “liked” an anti-trans post on the platform, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Friday said the city “will not tolerate any form of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric” and the person responsible should be held accountable.
“We are an inclusive city, and we must ensure that all of our residents are treated with dignity and respect,” Chicago’s first openly gay mayor tweeted, adding that she has directed interim Police Supt. Eric Carter “to conduct a robust investigation to identify the person responsible and hold them accountable.”
The City of Chicago does not and will not tolerate any form of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric or behavior, ever. We are an inclusive city, and we must ensure that all of our residents are treated with dignity and respect. 🧵 https://t.co/vJjreZMasw
— Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot (@chicagosmayor) April 7, 2023
The Sun-Times reported Thursday that the police department’s Bureau of Internal Affairs had launched an investigation to determine how CPD’s official Twitter account “liked” a post by country musician Travis Tritt, who tweeted Wednesday he would no longer request Anheuser-Busch products while on tour. “I know many artists who are doing the same,” he added.
Some conservatives called for a boycott of the company that owns Budweiser, Corona and other major beer brands after Bud Light partnered with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender actress, TikTok personality and activist.
In an Instagram post on April 1, Mulvaney talked about a Bud Light-sponsored contest while cracking a beer and showing off a special can the company gave her with her face on it.
“Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics,” the brand said in a statement this week. “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.”
Echoing earlier social media campaigns where conservative personalities posted themselves destroying their Nike shoes and swearing off M&M’s candy because of the companies’ support for so-called “woke” issues, posters filmed themselves pouring out or destroying Anheuser-Busch products.
In his own tweets, Supt. Carter said the department “does not tolerate bigotry” and insisted that liking Tritt’s post “does not represent the values of our department.”
“CPD is made up of a diverse group of Chicagoans who are committed to serving our city,” he said. “We will continue working to support and advocate for our every community, including our LGBTQ+ community, so that everyone feels safe and welcome.”
The Chicago Police Department does not tolerate bigotry. This week, there was an unauthorized "like" of a tweet that does not represent the values of our Department. We take this matter seriously and have launched an internal investigation into the matter.
— Interim Superintendent Eric Carter (@CPDSupt) April 7, 2023
Contributing: AP
