The Chicago Police Department said it is investigating after its main Twitter account appeared to "like" a tweet seen as being anti-trans from a country music singer.
"There is an open investigation into this matter," the department told NBC 5 in a statement. "We will not comment further to protect the integrity of this investigation."
The comment comes after social media images appeared to show CPD's official Twitter account "liking" a tweet from country music singer Travis Tritt.
"I will be deleting all Anheuser-Busch products from my tour hospitality rider," the singer wrote Wednesday. "I know many other artists who are doing the same."
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The tweet followed criticism of the company's partnership between Bud Light and transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Kid Rock also spoke out against the beer-maker by shooting cases of Bud Light with what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle.
Mulvaney - who gained popularity while chronicling her gender transition in a TikTok series called “Days of Girlhood” - promoted Bud Light's March Madness contest with a sponsored post on Sunday.
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"Happy March Madness!! Just found out this had to do with sports and not just saying it's a crazy month! In celebration of this sports thing @budlight is giving you the chance to win $15,000! Share a video with #EasyCarryContest for a chance to win!! Good luck! #budlightpartner," wrote Mulvaney, who has more than 1.7 million followers on Instagram and more than 10 million followers on TikTok.
The post, which was made on the day of the NCAA women's basketball final and the eve of the men's final, led to critics posting videos disowning Anheuser-Busch by pouring out the company's products and destroying cans of beer.
Others showed support for the partnership, with Paris Hilton commenting "Cheers" with a champagne glass emoji on Mulvaney's post.
“Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics," a spokesperson for the beer conglomerate told NBC News when asked about its partnership with Mulvaney and the ensuing backlash.
Anheuser-Busch has long supported the LGBTQ+ community, partnering with advocacy groups and donating more than $13 million over 20 years to organizations committed to LGBTQ+ equality. Bud Light has also released rainbow-colored aluminum bottles during June Pride Month and donated $1 for every case sold to the advocacy group GLAAD.
In Chicago, data from the police department shows the number of hate crimes due to gender identity have seen increases in recent years, with nine incidents in 2019, eight incidents in 2021 and seven incidents in 2022. That's compared to three in 2018, one in 2017 and three in 2016.
At the same time, Republican governors in Indiana and Idaho have signed into law bills banning gender-affirming care for minors, making those states the latest to restrict transgender health care as Republican-led legislatures continue to curb LGBTQ+ rights this year.
More than a dozen other states are considering bills that would prohibit transgender youth from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers and transition surgeries, even after the approval of parents and the advice of doctors. Other proposals target transgender individuals’ everyday life — including sports, workplaces and schools.
