ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The Stonewall Inn, known as the "birthplace of the modern Gay Rights movement," is banning the sale of Anheuser-Busch products during Pride weekend over the company's political contributions to people believed to have supported anti-LGBTQ legislation.
The owners of Stonewall Inn say the ban will begin on Friday and they will also have a ceremonial pouring of some AB products down the drain. It's in support of the "Keep Your Pride" campaign which was started by Corporate Accountability Action (CAA) who found that the St. Louis-based company contributed more than $35,000 to 29 legislators it described as anti-LGBTQ since 2015.
“We just felt Stonewall having the platform, the power to do this, it was important to stand up,” said Stacy Lentz, who is a co-owner of the bar along with Kurt Kelly. “We really just want Anheuser-Busch to stop donating to lawmakers who are trying to legalize discrimination.”
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CAA says NBC, General Motors, At&T and Coca-Cola made combined contributions of $324,250 to what they call anti-LGBTQ lawmakers, using data compiled by the National Institute on Money in Politics.
Anheuser-Busch released a statement on the ban saying, "We support candidates for public office whose policy positions and objectives support investments in our communities, job creation, and industry growth.
"Together, with our brands, we have a clear role to play in bringing real change and creating an inclusive and equitable world where we cherish and celebrate one another."
Stonewall Inn became famous for the June 1969 incident where bar patrons fought police officers attempting to carry out a raid. It was named a historic landmark in 2000 and was one of the first LGBTQ National Historic Landmarks.