Wayne Ringland

G2 Esports @G2esports firing Perkz is absolute bullshit, and the hypocrisy behind the decision is staggering. Truly pissed off about this. Here’s a breakdown: Perkz publicly expressed his Catholic faith and his belief that abortion is morally wrong. He went so far as to call it murder. You are entirely free to disagree with him, including his choice of words. But the suggestion that opposition to abortion is some bizarre, fringe extremist position is completely bonkers. Opposition to abortion is longstanding Catholic doctrine and is a widely held belief throughout various other Christian faiths and also Islam. Christianity and Islam alone account for more than FOUR BILLION people worldwide. Not all of the adherents agree on abortion, but pretending that Perkz’s fundamental position is somehow outside the bounds of acceptable mainstream thought is intellectually dishonest. Billions of people are opposed to abortion. Now let’s examine G2’s rather selective commitment to morality. G2 is perfectly comfortable participating in a Saudi-backed esports funding program. Yes, Saudi Arabia. The same Saudi Arabia where women *actually* face institutionalized discrimination, male guardianship laws, and significant restrictions on their personal autonomy. G2 is also perfectly comfortable accepting sponsorships from gambling companies like Winamax and Betpanda, whose businesses profit from an industry associated with addiction and financial harm. Apparently those relationships are entirely compatible with G2’s corporate “values,” but a Catholic person expressing a religious conviction shared by countless people around the world is simply too offensive to tolerate. How extraordinarily convenient. G2 doesn’t have to agree with Perkz. There’s legitimate debate to be had about morality, and reasonable people can arrive at very different conclusions. But firing someone for expressing a mainstream religious conviction while simultaneously preaching about diversity and inclusion is a breathtaking display of hypocrisy. Diversity includes diversity of thought. Religious tolerance includes tolerating religious beliefs you personally reject. And inclusion means absolutely nothing if it only extends to people who agree with you. If G2 genuinely believes in those principles, it ought to practice them. Otherwise, spare us the sanctimonious lectures about values. Apparently G2’s principles are negotiable when there’s a sponsorship check attached.

We believe @G2esports G2 Esports has made a grave mistake in terminating its relationship with Perkz over his publicly expressed personal convictions. “Diversity” must include diversity of thought, belief, and opinion. You do not have to share someone’s religious, political, or moral convictions to respect their right to hold them. The true measure of tolerance is how we treat people with whom we disagree. G2 had an opportunity to demonstrate mature, principled leadership by acknowledging those differences without demanding ideological conformity. Instead, it chose exclusion while invoking the very principles of diversity and inclusion that should encourage mutual respect. An organization that cannot tolerate disagreement within its own ranks is not demonstrating strength, progress, or inclusivity. It is demonstrating an inability to navigate differences with maturity and professionalism. Tolerance that extends only to those who agree with you is not tolerance. It is conformity masquerading as virtue. We believe G2 should expect better of its leadership, its organization, and the values it claims to represent. Weak, pathetic behavior by G2.