Uhm, but this isn't about the perception of what they might do or how things work east of the Urals or Jewish athletes in the oppressive muslim countries.
It's about an actual law in an actual place, and that actual place is ACTUALLY hosting the olympics. This isn't about one athlete refusing to compete against Mark Tewksbury, it's about the host country criminalizing the sexuality of many of the athletes who will be there competing. If Qatar was going to host the olympics and passed a law saying they would arrest any Jews seen practicing, discussing or promoting Judaism, you're goddamned right I'd be saying Canada should boycott. Luckily though, we don't have to think of these silly comparables, as one of the of the most offensive hypotheticals is the reality we are discussing here. The Berlin Olympics, which is being used as a comparison right now, isn't even valid. German officials weren't threatening to arrest Jesse Owens if he showed up looking a little too flamboyantly Black.
I think it is incredibly disappointing that this is not gaining more traction. Moneyed interests though once again trump human rights.
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