Coopers beer with Bible verses brings backlash when embroiled in Australia's marriage equality debate in 2017
The controversy over the 2017 video of the marriage equality debate between two federal members of parliament, featuring Coopers' Keep it Light beer with Bible Socety logos, attracted overseas attention on the BBC television news. Bottom left: A carton for the beer with a Bible verse.
Coopers Brewery, started in Adelaide in 1862 by devout Methodist Thomas Cooper, was caught in a 2017 outcry from interstate, with international attention, when its Bible Society-branded beer was used in a video debate over the same-sex-marriage issue.
The South Australian family brewery had released a range of limited-edition premium light beer with its cartons featuring Bible verses. The cans carried the Bibe Society logo and the message: “Live light. Happy 200th birthday to Australia’s longest-living charity from Australia’s longest living family brewery.”
The Bible Society featured the Keeping It Light beer in a video debate over marriage equality by two federal Liberal Party members of parliament Tim Wilson and Andrew Hastie. This set off a boycott of Coopers products by some hotels and clubs in Melbourne and Sydney who saw it as the company endorsing “a group who used their association to release a bigoted video in defence of the Bible's definition of marriage.”
Coopers Brewery responded that it “isn't trying to push religious messages or change your beliefs by celebrating 200 years of charitable work undertaken by the Bible Society, in fact, over the years we have produced a number of different celebratory cans to recognise the historical achievements of a vast array of different organisations”.
Both Coopers and Bible Society said the brewery didn't pay for the debate video to be made. In a further statement and video, Coopers said it was cancelling the release of the Bible Society commemorative cans and joining the Australian Marriage Equality advocacy group. The Bible Society replaced the original video of the debate between members of parliament Wilson and Hastie with a four-second clip advising: “We have decided to remove this video. Thank you for your understanding.”
Bible Society Australia chief executive Greg Clarke said the Coopers Foundation had been a strong supporter of its work, in particular providing Bibles for the defence forces: “I hope Australians enjoy a chance to celebrate the fact that we're here for good,” he said. According to the Christian Eternity News, 10,000 cartons were released of the beer carrying a Bible verse.
