Brewery Cuts Ties With Pro Fisherman Over Support for Uganda Anti-Gay Law

A brewery in California announced on Monday that it was cutting ties with a professional fisherman after he expressed support for a new anti-gay law in Uganda.

"We learned of Mr Dyer's view this morning and immediately severed our relationship with him. We could not disagree more strenuously with Mr. Dyer's view and the abomination that is going on in Uganda," the Canyon Club Brewery in California said in response to a tweet that shared screenshots of Blake Dyer's support of the new law.

Dyer's Twitter account has been deleted, but screenshots posted on social media showed him responding to a tweet from Texas Senator Ted Cruz discussing the new anti-gay law. "With Uganda on this one," Dyer reportedly said in response to the law.

The announcement by the Canyon Club Brewery comes shortly after Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni signed new legislation that imposes the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality," the Associated Press reported. "Aggravated homosexuality" is seen as sexual relationships with people who have HIV or with minors, according to the Associated Press. The legislation, however, does not criminalize those who identify as LGBTQ+.

Shortly after the legislation was announced, Cruz responded in opposition on Twitter saying, "This Uganda law is horrific & wrong."

"Any law criminalizing homosexuality or imposing the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality' is grotesque & an abomination," Cruz said. "ALL civilized nations should join together in condemning this human rights abuse."

U.S. President Joe Biden also responded to the legislation and said in a statement, "The enactment of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Act is a tragic violation of universal human rights—one that is not worthy of the Ugandan people, and one that jeopardizes the prospects of critical economic growth for the entire country."

"This shameful Act is the latest development in an alarming trend of human rights abuses and corruption in Uganda," Biden said. "As such, I have directed my National Security Council to evaluate the implications of this law on all aspects of U.S. engagement with Uganda, including our ability to safely deliver services under the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and other forms of assistance and investments."

While the Canyon Club Brewery said they were cutting ties with Dyer following his comments, Twitter account Patriot Takes also questioned several other companies linked to Dyer to see if they had any plans to continue supporting him.

"@MajorLeagueFish @Toyota Series fisherman and @HercRentalsInc sales rep Blake Dyer replied to Ted Cruz to support Uganda executing gay people. Do Blake's sponsors support this?" the Twitter account asked.

A spokesperson for Major League Fishing told Newsweek on Monday that they just learned of Dyer's comments and were planning to investigate further.