Political donations lead Stonewall Inn to ban certain beers – New York Daily News
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/OFOPYFHSHZG55HBLOCRUTYRFCY.jpg)
The owners of the Stonewall Inn say they will not be serving certain beers at the famous LGBTQ bar over Pride weekend to protest maker Anheuser-Busch’s political contributions to some politicians who have backed anti-LGBTQ legislation.
Stacy Lentz and Kurt Kelly, co-owners of the West Village landmark, said they would institute the ban on Friday to support the “Keep Your Pride” campaign, a recently launched effort highlighting five businesses he says are making publicity during Pride but have also contributed to anti-LGBTQ lawmakers.
The campaign, a project of Corporate Accountability Action, used data compiled by the National Institute on Money in Politics to show Anheuser-Busch paid more than $35,000 to 29 lawmakers it called anti-LGBT @ between 2015 and 2020.
“We just felt Stonewall had the platform, the power to do it, it was important to stand up,” Lentz said. “We really want Anheuser-Busch to stop donating to lawmakers trying to legalize discrimination.”
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/LE3NXIZ4FVHULJ6ZZA3J7V3FVE.jpg)
In a statement, Anheuser-Busch said, “We support candidates for public office whose political positions and goals support investments in our communities, job creation and industry growth.”
The statement continued, “Together, with our brands, we have a clear role to play in bringing about real change and creating an inclusive and equitable world where we cherish and celebrate each other.”
It was during an earlier incarnation of the Stonewall Inn in June 1969 when patrons of the bar fought with police who had come to carry out a raid, which galvanized gay rights activism across the country and the world.
