Overview

• Armed Forces Brewing Company, a military-themed brewery, is facing opposition over plans to open in Norfolk, Virginia, due to alleged racist and homophobic remarks by Robert J. O'Neill, a former U.S. Navy SEAL with a small ownership stake in the company.
• O'Neill's social media complaint about a Navy sailor who performs as a drag queen and a police report alleging he used a racial slur have fueled efforts to stop the brewery from opening.
• Norfolk's planning commission has recommended the City Council deny permits for the planned taproom and distribution center, after nearly 800 public comments were filed, many opposing the venture.
• The brewery also failed to get the support of the local neighborhood association, which serves the largely Black community of Park Place.
• The City Council could vote as soon as Tuesday on the brewery's conditional use permits, and the company has warned it will sue if the application is rejected.