Lauren Boebert’s transphobic Bud Light nickname draws conservative laughter

Representative Lauren Boebert drew laughter from a conservative conference for giving Bud Light a nickname while using a transphobic slur.

Boebert, a Colorado Republican, derailed corporate “wokeism” during her speech at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver on Friday. She highlighted conservatives’ boycotts against Bud Light, the beer brand that faced right-wing outrage for sending a commemorative beer can to influencer and activist Dylan Mulvaney to celebrate the one-year mark of her gender transition. During the GOP lawmaker’s speech on Friday, she invoked a term for transgender individuals that is widely viewed as offensive.

“There’s wokeism in the corporate world,” Boebert said. “Bud Light, or t***** fluid, they have lost $27 billion in revenue because you took a stand.”

Her remark comes as advocates sound the alarm about rising anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the United States amid what they view as a resurgence of homophobic or transphobic rhetoric, as well as an increase in new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), at least 491 bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights have been introduced across the U.S. so far this year.

Meanwhile, Boebert’s remark was met with laughter from the audience at the summit—but faced backlash on social media where critics condemned the use of that term. Patriot Takes, a left-leaning account that monitors conservatives, called her out on Twitter on Saturday for using “a derogatory slur against trans people, in an attempt for laughs.”

Another Twitter user @elf_uma tweeted, “I find unbelievable that in 2023 there are people who still use derogatory terms like that. They aren’t making fun of opponent politicians or supporters, they are laughing to an entire community of US citizen fellows who is fighting for equal rights.”

Furthermore, many critics on social media also noted that Bud Light has lost $27 billion in market value, not revenue.

Newsweek reached out to Boebert’s office for comment via email.

Boebert and other conservatives have supported boycotts against brands including Bud Light over their embrace of the LGBTQ+ community. They have accused these brands of “going woke” by partnering with prominent members of the LGBTQ+ community or by releasing Pride month merchandise. Several other companies including Target, PetSmart and Starbucks have drawn boycotts over their pro-LGBTQ+ positions.

Last week, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) declared a “state of emergency” for LGBTQ+ people amid the uptick in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced by conservative lawmakers. Of the growing number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, at least 76 have been signed into law, fueling concerns about the future of rights for the community.

“The multiplying threats facing millions in our community are not just perceived—they are real, tangible and dangerous,” HRC President Kelley Robinson said in a previous statement. “In many cases they are resulting in violence against LGBTQ+ people, forcing families to uproot their lives and flee their homes in search of safer states, and triggering a tidal wave of increased homophobia and transphobia that puts the safety of each and every one of us at risk.