After Bud Light’s “ill-fated marketing campaign” that featured a transgender woman, it appears that Smirnoff, a brand of vodka produced by the British company Diageo, has made a failed attempt to keep its partnership with Texan drag queen and transgender-identifying woman Maxine St. James LaQueene quiet.
In September 2022, LaQueene expressed his excitement in joining Smirnoff’s “Show Up Show Off” drag competition through an Instagram post. Although the partnership did not make headlines at the time, the performer caused a stir at the Texas Capitol last week, taking center stage on various news sites.
LaQueene, among other protesters, began to chant during a legislative vote on a bill, SB 14, that would ban transgender surgery for kids under the age of 18. After Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, a Republican, demanded they be removed, a photo was snapped of LaQueene bent over while in custody, displaying a clear view of his backside and genitals to bystanders.
Detransitioner and activist Oli London made the connection between Smirnoff and LaQueene through a series of tweets last Friday, sharing images from the House floor as well as the original image of their partnership announcement.
“Hey @SmirnoffUS why do you have a brand partnership with this Drag Queen?” the tweet began. “He exposed his genitals while teens were present in an unlawful insurrection in Texas. He also posts disturbing fetish images of his genitals online. Is this who you want to be the face of your brand?”
In an email to Fox News Digital after London’s discovery, Smirnoff confirmed its partnership with LaQueene for a promotional campaign in 2022, but claimed he “is not currently a Smirnoff partner, and does not currently have any contract with Smirnoff.”
“Smirnoff’s partnership with LaQueene proves that Bud Light isn’t the only beer company with left-wing activists in their marketing department,” Joseph Backholm, senior fellow for biblical worldview and strategic engagement at Family Research Council, told The Washington Stand. “Their attempt to distance themselves from LaQueene proves the boycott against Bud Light has scared other companies.”
Despite their alleged partnership being annulled, London continued to post about Smirnoff’s relationship with LaQueene and revealed a promotional video featuring the drag queen in full costume. In the same tweet, he wrote, “Radical Trans Activist who exposed his testicles in front of teens in the Texas State House has a long-term paid brand partnership with @SmirnoffUS. Will the brand continue to pay this man or drop him as ambassador immediately?”
As repercussions of the events at the Texas Capitol continue to unravel, LaQueene was quick to defend himself. He claimed to have been attacked by conservatives for flashing bystanders, and asserted that he “did not consent” for a photo to be taken. LaQueene also claimed that flashing bystanders was simply “an accident” and he is “completely speechless.”
“People like Dylan Mulvaney and LaQueene need Jesus and therapy, not social status and influence,” Backholm concluded. “Corporate America may be slow to learn this lesson, but the market is helping them understand.”
Originally published by The Washington Stand
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