One of my favorite conservative talking points is "this was already happening before so why the protest now? Who's agenda are they advancing."
Another is "there's enough awareness, so this is just attention seeking"
Slavery, separate but equal, back of the bus, and lunch counters were already happening well before people stood up about it.
Discrimination against gays was hidden, then people knew about, and despite positive change it still exists. The bigots have simply changed their tune from "that's disgusting and ungodly and illegal" to "I'm not biased, but you don't have to throw it in my face."
Protest makes people uncomfortable. That's the point. And athletes have a long proud tradition of protesting to raise awareness of social and civil rights issues. Which is a great thing. Because if I didn't stand up for the Pledge at an NFL game only the 8 people sitting around me would know, and no one would ask why. When star athletes do it, millions see it and, partially because of the discomfort, think about it. When protests make people uncomfortable, some get angry, dig in, and celebrate the loss of endorsements or employment or reputation or life. But some opinions change, and a dialogue gets going
