Like some bible verses with your beer? Try a Coopers mate..

It’s not looking good for Coopers after they teamed up with donor recipients Bible Society Australia for their newest ad campaign. Pubs and bars across Australia are removing Coopers from their taps due to their catastrophic ‘Keeping It Light’ campaign which trivialised marriage equality. The video shows Liberals MPs Tim Wilson and Andrew Hastie agreeing to disagree on same-sex marriage in a debate that according to Coopers “needs to be had.”

Family-owned South Australian brewery Coopers has been in operation for 154 years. Popular in Australia and distributed around the world, Coopers Pale Ale is a staple found on tap in almost every pub in the country. However, since the release of the disastrous video beer fans were outraged by its anti-marriage equality stance and the hashtag #BoycottCoopers began trending. A string of pubs have taken Coopers off their beer list, including Sydney’s Newtown Hotel, Union Hotel Newtown, Hollywood Hotel in Surry Hills and Hideaway Bar in Enmore. The wave has continued in Melbourne, with the Old Bar, Sircuit nightclub and Mollies Bar & Diner in Fitzroy all boycotting the beer. The Newtown Hotel moved to replace Coopers with The Rocks Boxer Red Ale and are donating $1 from every pint sold in the month of March to LGBTQ charity GetUp! Joining them are the Union Hotel who promised to donate a dollar for each schooner sold from the last pale kegs to Beyond Blue.

In a statement on social media Union Hotel said: “The call to ‘Keep it Light’ is particularly upsetting, considering that it is absolutely NOT a light issue for the thousands who are effected by marriage inequality.”

The PR storm is only just beginning for the brewery as beer lovers, breweries and bars alike showed disappointment in the way the brewery has reacted to the backlash. In their first statement, Coopers said: “With regards to the ‘Keeping it Light’ video from the Bible Society featuring Andrew Hastie and Tim Wilson, this is a lighthearted but balanced debate about an important topic within Australia. As a mature community it’s a debate we need to have but in a good spirited and good natured way.” They then seemed to try to distance themselves and backtrack in their second statement, saying that they: “did not give permission for our Premium Light beer to feature in, or ‘sponsor’ the Bible Society’s ‘Keeping it Light’ video.”

That just isn’t enough for many craft beer fans and pubs who are calling for a nationwide boycott of the beer until there is a positive end to the debate. The Union Hotel added: “We find their statement in response to the backlash strange and underwhelming. We’re huge fans of the beer, but nothing short of genuine public support from Coopers for marriage equality would get us back to pouring their good stuff.”

It seems that Coopers didn’t realise the consequences of their “light discussion” on a “heavy topic.” The simple fact here is that marriage equality shouldn’t even be open for discussion and marrying the person you love should not be up for someone else to debate. Craft beer is a community inclusive of everyone, no what their beliefs, gender, race or sexual orientation.

It’s clear from the homophobic tones in this campaign that Coopers are out of touch, and craft beer fans are hitting back. The damage has already been done for Coopers, who will surely be clambering to claw back some integrity in the aftermath of the problematic video. Attitudes have changed and breweries nowadays have an open door ‘if you like beer you are welcome here’ policy – that’s why people love to drink local in a nice, accepting atmosphere. Beer doesn’t need to have a political agenda, take a tip from Coopers.