Australian Beer Company Boycotted After Video Touting Traditional Marriage Features Company’s Beer

After an Australian religious group called The Bible Society released a video in which two members of the Australian Parliament discussed their opposing views on same-sex marriage while holding bottles of Coopers beer, bars around country that support same-sex marriage punished Coopers by dumping Coopers Brewery products.

The video, titled, “Keeping It Light,” shows the two MPs debating their opposing views on same-sex marriage, which is illegal in Australia. MP Tim Wilson, who is agnostic and gay, debated Andrew Hastie, who is a religious Christian.

Although Coopers claims it “did not give permission” to be included in the video, Coopers recently celebrated the Bible Society’s 200-year anniversary with a commemorative beer featuring Bible verses.

As the BBC reports:

Despite Mr. Wilson’s inclusion, critics interpreted the video as one-sided. One commentator said Coopers risked sponsoring a “political act by a religious organisation,” while another said “homophobia lite is still homophobia.” “I have respected Coopers all my life, and it was crushing to realise that as a queer person, they don’t respect me,” wrote Chloe Sargeant for the Special Broadcasting Service.

By Tuesday, eight bars in Sydney and Melbourne publicly declared they would not stock Coopers.

Cooper Brewery stated it had not sponsored the video, allowing, “We respect the beliefs of our community and do not wish to try and change them.” It later stated it had canceled the release of its Bible Society commemorative cans and would be joining Australian Marriage Equality.

Bible Society chief executive Greg Clarke told the BBC that the video was attempting to have a “civil conversation on a serious issue . . . At first I was surprised the reaction was so immediate and extreme, but then on reflection [I] wasn’t surprised because this really seems to be how social media works at the moment.”

Wilson told news.com.au.,  “I’m disappointed Coopers appears to have distanced themselves from a sensible conversation that they should be proud to align themselves with.”