The Human Rights Campaign, one of the leading LGBT advocacy groups, suspended its equality score for Anheuser-Busch in light of the fallout after one of its brands partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Anheuser-Busch previously had a Corporate Equality Index score of 100, which is now suspended for the next 90 days after the company did not reinforce its support for Mulvaney when it faced backlash for its partnership.
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The company sent one personalized can to Mulvaney, who subsequently made two posts with the can. Backlash soon began within the company’s customer base. The senior marketing officials involved were then put on leave, and a third-party ad agency was cut ties with. The brand has also reportedly hired a lobbying firm with GOP roots, Origin Advocacy, in order to rehabilitate its image.
HRC sent a letter to Anheuser-Busch announcing its score suspension and is allowing for a 90-day response period for it to earn back its score, per a letter obtained by USA TODAY.
The beer company previously scored perfectly in all four categories: protections from workplace discrimination, inclusive benefits, inclusive culture inside and outside the workplace, and responsible citizenship when it comes to LGBT employees. Now it stands a chance of getting its score docked.
Neither the HRC nor Anheuser-Busch responded to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
Mulvaney claimed to have been worn down by the backlash stemming from the partnership with Bud Light. The advertising collaboration kicked off last month, greatly increasing the influencer’s public profile.
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As a result, Bud Light sales were down for a fifth straight week, with its sales falling 23.6% for the week ending on May 6 compared to numbers recorded in 2022, according to a report citing data acquired by Bump Williams Consulting and NielsenIQ.
