Coors Light is standing firm as the title sponsor of the Denver Pride Parade.
Why it matters: The beer maker's stance is notable given the ongoing right-wing backlash and boycott of major brands that embrace the gay and transgender community, like its competitor, Bud Light.
State of play: The Coors Light Denver Pride Parade this Sunday is the largest to date with an estimated 15,000 people marching and another 100,000-plus expected to watch along the route, according to organizers.
None of its major sponsors — including Target, Nissan, U.S. Bank, Absolut Vodka, Visa and Wells Fargo — have expressed concerns, according to Rex Fuller, CEO of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado, which organizes the parade.
What they're saying: The Center's Fuller sees this moment — when conservatives are pushing anti-transgender legislation and leveling attacks — as an opportunity to make a point and “not the time to give into bullying.”
“This is kind of the hard part of allyship,” he said, referring to the sponsors' support. “We are in a time period when it can be quite fashionable in some corners to pretty openly express homophobic, transphobic (sentiments) and racism, and I think that can make this uncomfortable at some points.”
Of note: Molson Coors, the Chicago-based parent of the Golden brewer, declined to discuss its sponsorship, but spokesperson Adam Collins said in a statement that the company has sponsored the parade for decades and will continue to support LGBTQ pride “for decades to come.”
The other side: Other brands are retreating from their support for the LGBTQ community. Anheuser Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, Kohl's and Target, saw a $29 billion loss in market value amid the controversy.
Bud Light is no longer America's top-selling beer after the boycott, and Target pulled its Pride displays amid threats against workers.
The company's reactions only deepened the controversy and drew ire from both sides of the political aisle.
The intrigue: The boycott against Bud Light is actually straight from the playbook of the gay rights movement.
In the late 1970s, labor unions and others launched a boycott against Coors beer after the company asked prospective employees about their sexualities and labor union ties and about discriminating against gay and lesbian workers.
It proved to be a galvanizing and successful movement.