The Bud Light controversy began in April 2023 when the beer company partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on a beer promotion. This caused angry conservatives and anti-LGBTQ+ activists to call for boycotts of the beer brand. Bud Light sent a commemorative Bud Light can to Mulvaney, who posted it to her millions of social media followers. However, Bud Light did not publicly stand by her when the backlash began, which led to criticism from Mulvaney and others. The controversy has dragged on for months, and Bud Lights sales have taken at least a temporary hit. Some liquor store owners reported a 20 to 25 percent dip in Bud Light sales in the days after the controversy hit, with shoppers seemingly opting for other beer brands instead. The backlash has spread to other brands, and Bud Light has become an unexpected symbol in efforts by Republican state lawmakers to regulate the lives of young transgender people, restrict drag shows, and require schools to out transgender students to their parents.