Gay Water Claps Back At Bud Light's Insincere LGBTQ+ Support
As we all know, there are hundreds of canned cocktails to choose from, with at least a couple meeting your preferences for flavor, ingredients, and LGBTQ+ support. One such supporter is newcomer Gay Water.
According to CNN, the name references a vodka soda, popular among the LGBTQ+ community. However, the company is reclaiming the phrase "gay water" by offering four fun flavors of the drink: lime, peach, grapefruit, and watermelon. Following its launch on July 20, Gay Water will be available as a variety 12-pack for $36.50 and a lime 6-pack (which is already sold out). Gay Water also sells tumblers and hats, with its Instagram hinting at stickers being available soon.
The brand has not yet branched out to brick-and-mortar stores, but you can order the variety pack online. Currently, Gay Water ships to 35 states, and asks customers to expect delays in shipping as the company settles in. While Gay Water hasn't publicly commented on other drink brands' LGBTQ+ support (or lack thereof), it's certainly on many people's minds, considering the recent Bud Light controversy.
Bud Light gives in to opposition toward the LGBTQ+ movement
Though Pride Month heralds important conversations and raises awareness for the LGBTQ+ community, progress also comes at the cost of so-called "rainbow capitalism." In a PBS interview, host Lisa Desjardins explains that rainbow capitalism is when businesses "actively market around [Pride Month]," only to withdraw their public support at the end of the month or, worse, when they face opposition.
One of the most-publicized cases of rainbow capitalism in 2023 has been the Bud Light controversy. Back in early spring, transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney promoted a $15,000 Bud Light contest on her Instagram, showing off a personalized can the company had sent her. Many customers began boycotting Bud Light to the point that parent company Anheuser-Busch released a statement saying, "We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer."
In other words, Bud Light decided to back down, instead giving in to the boycotters' demands. This move has also potentially cost the company its Corporate Equality Index score and "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality" distinction.