Iowa governor promotes 'real women' merch parodying Bud Light trans influencer

DES MOINES — If Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ stance on transgender individuals was not clear before, it probably is now.

Reynolds on Monday promoted a pack of koozies that label herself and three other female Republican governors as “real women of politics,” in an apparent parody of Bud Light cans.

An online video promoting the beverage sleeves mimics Bud Light’s “Real Men of Genius” commercials, with a background music track singing "real women don't have to fake it."

"Some big companies can't tell the difference between real and fake anymore," a narrator says during the video.

The campaign merchandising promotion comes amid backlash over Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev’s partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Conservative groups objected after the company sent the social media influencer commemorative Bud Light cans with her image to promote a sweepstakes contest for the company.

Two Anheuser-Busch InBev executives who supervised the marketing collaboration have since been put on leave, the company told the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

Reynolds has made restrictions on transgender youth a priority this year, signing a pair of laws that ban gender-affirming health care for minors and prevent transgender people in K-12 schools from using the bathroom, locker room or changing facility that matches their gender identity. The governor, too, has pushed legislation awaiting her signature that would prohibit teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through sixth grade, and would require schools to notify parents if a student requests changing their name or pronouns.

Reynolds shared an image of the parody koozies in a tweet on Monday, saying “Woke Corporations are trying to change who WE are!”

Transgender rights advocates have criticized Reynolds for stirring up animus toward trans people and participating in the promotional campaign after telling reporters before signing into law restrictions of transgender youth that her “heart goes out to them.”

“I’m a parent. I’m a grandmother. I know how difficult this is,” Reynolds told reporters before signing the gender-affirming care ban for Iowans under the age of 18. “This is an extremely uncomfortable position for me to be in. And I don’t like it.

“But I have to do what I believe, right now, is in the best interest of the kids until we can have some more research done or we can see what’s happening in some of the other countries that have been doing this, to better understand the impact. I think that’s reasonable.”

The koozies feature Gov. Reynolds, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders.

The koozies are for sale for $15 on Huckabee-Sanders’ campaign website.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com