Google has joined the many activists around the world in protesting the anti-LGBT laws introduced in Russia in time for the opening ceremony of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games. The Google doodle shows athletes of winter sports in a colored array reminiscent of the rainbow flag of the international LGBT movement. To bring the point home, the Olympic Charter is cited below the search box.
Google is normally less political in its homepage design. The Google doodle was introduced in 1998 and since then has been used to mark special events and anniversaries. Politically motivated doodles are the exception. That the statement is meant as political is shown by the citation from the Olympic Charter: "The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."
It is a nice gesture from a large company that really could give a damn about what anyone thinks for as long as they continue using their products. It is also a timely reminder of inequalities of all kinds not limited to Russia. It highlights the plight of people living in dictatorships having to bow to every whim of an illegitimate despot. And if you add stupid government officials to the score, then life in Russia currently isn't much fun.
It is a well-known rule that closet gays are more dangerous for LGBT rights than comfortable heterosexuals. A closet gay like Vladimir Putin in the seat of power in Russia is the proof of how bad things can get. Minor idiots and fellow closet gays like acting mayor of Sochi Anatoliy Nikolayevich Pakhomov make it even clearer when they publicize their blatant lies about gays. To quote him: 'There are no gays in Sochi.' He would know; maybe all the call boys he pays for are gay for pay.
It is a nice gesture from a large company that really could give a damn about what anyone thinks for as long as they continue using their products. It is also a timely reminder of inequalities of all kinds not limited to Russia. It highlights the plight of people living in dictatorships having to bow to every whim of an illegitimate despot. And if you add stupid government officials to the score, then life in Russia currently isn't much fun.
It is a well-known rule that closet gays are more dangerous for LGBT rights than comfortable heterosexuals. A closet gay like Vladimir Putin in the seat of power in Russia is the proof of how bad things can get. Minor idiots and fellow closet gays like acting mayor of Sochi Anatoliy Nikolayevich Pakhomov make it even clearer when they publicize their blatant lies about gays. To quote him: 'There are no gays in Sochi.' He would know; maybe all the call boys he pays for are gay for pay.
What we can hope is that these are the last Olympic Games to go to Russia for the lifetime of sleazy Vladimir Putin and his successors and bedfellows. I have been boycotting Russian products since the law was passed; but then, there are nice Swedish Vodkas to drink, so no hardship.
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