Discrimination is not acceptable behavior. Institutionalized state sponsored discrimination is not acceptable behavior -unless of course declaring our opposition gets in the way of our being entertained, making money or exploiting it for whatever personal gain we might accrue, like competing and getting medals.
So the Russian winter games are almost upon us. But what do we do about the anti-gay laws that Russia intends to enforce? As best as I can tell, for right now, if you are a sponsor, you do nothing. If you are the IOC you do nothing. If you are an athlete, you do nothing- except for one guy who has vowed to wear a rainbow pin. If you are a consumer, you do nothing. This is the kind of unacceptable behavior that permits (turning the blind eye) the discrimination to continue unabated. Everyone is compelled to stand against the injustice that is the Russian approach to sexuality and civil rights.
I won’t watch the Olympic games. Sorry NBC, no advertising dollars will flow from me. I won’t drink Coke- sorry Atlanta- no revenue from me. And I will not consume any McDonald’s products (arguably one healthy thing to come out of this). Sorry Ronald. I will write to the IOC and USOC to express my outrage that they find the Russian stand acceptable. And what about you? Athletes should boycott and we all should demand that the laws are repealed. Gays are victims of the law and also of vigilantes in Russia. Is this really acceptable? How can we say we are against such maltreatment of others, except when it infringes on our ability to ski or skate or make money? We may not be able to change Russia directly, but we certainly do not have to support and give glory to the place and people that find such behavior acceptable.