“My guess is that ordering or drinking in public a Bud Light, or even a Budweiser or other identifiable sister brand, subjects a person to mockery.”
Bingo. The other key factor here is that beer drinkers have a lot of brand loyalty. It takes a lot to make them switch, but once they do, it will take a lot more to make them switch back.
A lot of folks here (and on other forums) complain they feel helpless trying to fight the insane perverts who have the power.
This is a chance to actually do something—and folks are really enjoying sticking it to the “pervert man”.
In fact that is the deal for any customer.
People think it is brand loyalty when it is actually inertia.
Once a customer leaves he ain't coming back.
And more and more people are realizing that it is not just Bud but the entire InBev conglomerate that they should be targeting. And so they are.
If that happens and InBev takes a major long term hit they might begin to think twice about what they are pushing.
Or not.