When the Bud Light situation first blew up and beer drinkers began looking for non-woke replacements, Yuengling was the brand many turned to. All AB InBev brands, from Modelo to Stella, Mich Ultra to Busch Light, were associated with Bud Light, and Miller Light, the closest competitor, is similarly woke.
That was understandable, as Yuengling has so far avoided woke commercials of the Dylan Mulvaney mold and is owned by a Trump supporter. Sadly, it appears that even Yuengling isn’t completely non-woke, as it was caught financially supporting a venue that’s now hosting a drag show.
That would be ArtsQuest, hosting an event called Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA. It’s hosting a drag show called “Draggin’ with the Divas,” which the website describes by saying, “Draggin’ with the Divas is a drag show featuring music performed by some of our favorite Queens covering Queens. Hosted by Elektra Fearce St. James.”
Announcing the event on Facebook, Musikfest said, “Need your drag fix before our iconic Musikfest Drag Show? Well, the queens return to Musikfest Cafe on June 30th!👑 Close out Pride Month with a FIERCE show🎟️”
Podcaster and journalist Tim Pool took to Twitter to note that the event, sponsored by Yuengling, originally was marketed as being family-friendly and allowed babies, though it recommended not bringing kids under 2. Specifically, the ticket promo said, “All persons entering a venue, including babies in arms, must have a ticket. Each ticket will allow one admittance. If a ticket holder leaves the venue, for any reason, re-admittance will not be allowed. Attendance of children under 2 years of age may not be recommended for some performances.”
MusikFest deleted their Babies Allowed Drag Show tweet sponsored by @yuenglingbeer pic.twitter.com/xIOLjkfpFi
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) June 15, 2023
After outrage over that grew, the event was changed to being only 18+, so babies are no longer allowed into the event. Yuengling praised that decision but otherwise refrained from commenting on its money being used to host a drag show in a statement posted to Twitter.
Beginning, the statement said that Yuengling has supported ArtsQuest for years and that the organization aims to rebuild a run-down part of Bethlehem, PA, saying, “Yuengling has been a supporter of ArtsQuest for many years, along with over 300 local community supporters. We’re proud to be part of their efforts to revitalize an industrial neighborhood in Bethlehem, PA.”
Continuing, Yuengling claimed that though it has the naming rights to the event because of its support of the venue, ArtsQuest handles planning the events, saying, “Through our ArtsQuest sponsorship, we have naming rights to the “Musikfest Café Presented by Yuengling” venue. ArtsQuest independently plans the events and policies that take place at this venue, and all of their other performance areas.”
But, despite implying it wasn’t behind the decision to bring on the drag show at which toddlers were originally going to be allowed, Yuengling refrained from commenting on whether or not it supports drag shows.
Instead, it cheered the age change decision without commenting on the content of the event or saying if it would be using its financial weight to try to get the event canceled, saying, “Yuengling actively promotes responsible drinking for patrons 21 years of age and older. We are working to align with ArtsQuest regarding appropriate age restrictions for venues associated with our sponsorship. We support their decision to restrict attendance to 18+ for the June 30th show. For more information, contact [email protected].”
— Yuengling Brewery (@yuenglingbeer) June 16, 2023
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