In a major reversal from the disaster it inflicted upon itself in 2023, Anheuser-Busch, the owner of Bud Light, has done a major turnaround and decided to stop funding a major LGBTQ+ Pride festival in St. Louis, something that is a major change from its former connection to Dylan Mulvaney and has put the festival’s future in doubt.
As background, April of 2023 was when a video from transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney was released, in which a collection of cans of Bud Light with Mulvaney’s face on them were shown off while Mulvaney sat in a bathtub. Predictably, that resulted in huge backlash and a “Boycott Bud Light” campaign that dented the light beer giant’s sales and showed the increasingly infuriated way in which many Americans view woke advertisements.
In any case, Anheuser-Busch, which owns Bud Light and is in turn owned by Brazilian beverage giant Ab-InBev, has since reversed course dramatically from that decision and decided to not sponsor the 2025 St. Louis PrideFest, an event it has long financially supported and made possible, casting the festival’s future in doubt.
Describing itself on its website, St. Louis PrideFest describes itself by saying, “For over thirty years, Pride St. Louis, Inc. has been working to raise understanding and acceptance of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) individuals in our community. We are not a political group, but rather a community-based organization that envisions a world where diversity can be celebrated and prejudice has been eradicated. We welcome you to join us for a meeting, a workshop, or a special event. As an organization, we are working each and every day to bring about meaningful change right here in St. Louis.”
Anheuser-Busch has, somewhat surprisingly, given its pre-2023 reputation as a “normal American beer” company, funded St. Louis PrideFest for its three-decade history, making the festival possible. Until now, that is, driving Pride St. Louis President Marty Zuniga mad. Speaking to local news outlet KSDK, Zuniga said, “This community is trying to be erased right now, and DEI is becoming a bad word in this country, and we need these partners more than ever.”
Continuing, Zuniga noted that the beverage giant has been funding the festival for decades, financially supporting it since the start as a “true ally” and the organization’s “longest partner.” But, now, in the wake of President Trump’s electoral victory and red state furor against Bud Light, the company reportedly “don’t see the value” in backing the LGBTQ+ festival.
Such is what Zuniga admitted, saying, “We were devastated. We learned this about a couple of weeks ago and tried to work with them and all our sponsors as we start to gear up to planning for PrideFest 2025. It was just interesting that the longest partner of ours for 30 years that they’ve been at the table with us and a true ally just decided to walk away after basically just saying that they just don’t see the value in it anymore.”
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Continuing, Zuniga admitted that Anheuser-Busch yanking its funding of the event was something that “really hurts,” and could indicate the company doesn’t see the value in associating itself with such events and groups moving forward. Explaining as much, Zuniga said, “They don’t see the value in the partnership, or they do not see the value in the community? It’s very hard to draw that line. What really hits home for us is that this is one of the largest employers here in Saint Louis in our own backyard, and that’s what hurts us the most. They have also divested from other prides across the country. San Francisco, for one, off the top of my head.”
Zuniga further claimed that the corporate reversal in course on supporting such events is “scary” but that the event’s participants are trying to support each other, saying, “It’s scary to see this is what’s happening and the impact, but we’re all rallying together to see how we can support each other.”
Zuniga has also called on replacement supporters to step up and aid the event so that it needn’t be canceled, saying, “While we are deeply disappointed that Anheuser-Busch has chosen to step away from supporting PrideFest this year, we remain hopeful that the community will step up where they have stepped down. The #45for45 campaign is an opportunity for everyone, whether you’ve marched in the parade, attended our events, or simply believe in equality, to help ensure that these efforts continue for years to come. The community and our board are clear—canceling PrideFest is not an option.”
Watch KDSK’s report on the Anheuser-Busch pullout of the event here:
Featured image credit: embedded KDSK video