Orlando Florida. – An Orlando restaurant has chosen to stop selling Bud Light beer after the company launched a campaign featuring Dyland Mulvaney, a trans artist and influencer.
Joe Penovich, owner of Grills Lakeside Seafood Deck & Tiki Bar, posted a message on the restaurant’s Facebook account in response to a post accusing him and employees of throwing the drink away. The reaction of the owner comes two weeks after the revelation of the collaboration between the artist and the company.
“It is true that we have made the decision to remove Bud Light because of its support for something that is in direct opposition to our biblical faith. There is no judgment in our hearts of those who believe in these rapidly changing social values. But it’s being lied that we and other Christians hate Dylan Mulvaney and the gay community,” Penovich said.
The owner pointed out that the accusations are only intended to defame the company and that it was created from a Facebook account that was deleted.
“I have requested to meet with this individual to discuss these serious allegations and to review security camera footage. I can assure you, our customers and employees, many of whom know me personally and have followed the Grills story, that this message is not true and is in no way characteristic of who we are or our reputation.” Penovich.
According to the post they shared about the restaurant, staff threw “every bottle/keg of BudLight in the trash under the sun.” They also added that the owner had made offensive comments towards the LGBTQ+ community.
“Nothing could be further from the truth in our hearts and minds. Our decision was made with many tears in the face of this circumstance and what we see as corporate greed and a deeper spiritual reality coming into this world. Leaving aside a deeper dive into our biblical views for now, we believe that being transgender is a social experiment that is causing irreversible damage to an ever-growing population of young people and children. We will not align ourselves in any way on him,” Penovich said.
For his part, Anheuser-Bush, CEO of Bud Light, said that “we never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. Our business is to bring people together over a beer .”