Orson Scott Card - Scifi writer & Anti-Gay Militant

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2013/02/24/ottawa-comic-book-gay-marriage-orson-scott-card-shoppe-boycott.html

I've known about him for decades - Marvel was publishing his work prior to this upcoming DC stint - but never read about him in detail and didn't know until now he was such a militant about this issue.

I mean, if you disprove of homosexuality and gay marriage, I don't agree but you're entitled to your opinion. But being in favour of criminalizing such behavior?! Trying to keep old laws on the books for it?? That crosses the line. The movie version of Ender's Game comes out this year; will there be boycotts then?

Who here can separate this issue from reading his work?

Originally posted by roughrider
I mean, if you disprove of homosexuality and gay marriage, I don't agree but you're entitled to your opinion. But being in favour of criminalizing such behavior?! Trying to keep old laws on the books for it?? That crosses the line.

Yea, and he doesn't just talk about it, he actively puts money towards it and has membership in organizations who push for them.

I don't buy anything he does, I don't want to support people who support abominable causes.

I don't understand. The store owner admits that he wouldn't be any better than Card were he to outright ban the sale of the comic on his shelves, but isn't this sort of boycott in itself a form censorship? In that case how is he any better than the homophobic Orson Card?

That has come up from the other side. And I don't remember any such talks of banning his work for Marvel Comics or from any of the book store chains that carry his work. Somehow this issue got re-ignited just because he's working on Superman?

I didn't think his work on Ultimate Iron Man was any improvement over the 616 version, either. Kind of needlessly complicated.

If you substitute the term Black or African American for homosexual in his stance, there's no way in hell he'd have a following outside the KKK.

Originally posted by TheGodKiller
I don't understand. The store owner admits that he wouldn't be any better than Card were he to outright ban the sale of the comic on his shelves, but isn't this sort of boycott in itself a form censorship? In that case how is he any better than the homophobic Orson Card?

The comic store owner doesn't.

Wow thanks for enlightening me.

That's why I'm here.

Interestingly enough, there are some branches of Christianity that would think Orson follows a cockamamie faith, being a Mormon. Wonder how he feels about that... 😛

Is he opposing gay rights in the comics themselves?

Originally posted by Branlor Swift
Is he opposing gay rights in the comics themselves?

No, in real life. He wants old laws that used to criminalize homosexual behaviour kept on the books. 🤪

He also said that if the US government passed gay marriage laws he would get guns and rebel against them and start a new civil war.

I hope it gets legalized then.

Curious to see whether he lasts as long as Dorner did.

You know that 99% of people who say stuff like that are all talk

Originally posted by roughrider

If you substitute the term Black or African American for homosexual in his stance, there's no way in hell he'd have a following outside the KKK.

As a black guy, I don't like when people do this. It's not really the same thing.

Damn and I go to this shop.

Originally posted by JayDaDon
As a black guy, I don't like when people do this. It's not really the same thing.

Originally posted by TheGodKiller
I don't understand. The store owner admits that he wouldn't be any better than Card were he to outright ban the sale of the comic on his shelves, but isn't this sort of boycott in itself a form censorship? In that case how is he any better than the homophobic Orson Card?

No, this is a misunderstanding of what censorship is.

The store own is not obligated to carry someone's books, they always don't carry someone or other's books.

And heck, the store is still selling it, just special-orders only.

Boycotts are perfectly legal, non-censorship, vote with your wallet methods. The store owner is deciding not to buy his books in a very free market way (save, again, by individual request).

One can do boycotts for good causes or bad causes. In this case, it's a good reason- not supporting someone who openly advocates harrassing US citizens and denying them rights.

Originally posted by roughrider
That has come up from the other side. And I don't remember any such talks of banning his work for Marvel Comics or from any of the book store chains that carry his work. Somehow this issue got re-ignited just because he's working on Superman?

I didn't think his work on Ultimate Iron Man was any improvement over the 616 version, either. Kind of needlessly complicated.

If you substitute the term Black or African American for homosexual in his stance, there's no way in hell he'd have a following outside the KKK.

There was a little talk back then, but not a lot. It's partially that the country has come a long way in the 7 years since Ult Iron Man, and partially because, well, it's *Superman*. A champion of justice and equality. An alt-universe version of a character who even the main version of can be a jerk (and pre-movie too), vs a character who stands for the very opposite of what Card wants the real world to be like.

Originally posted by Endless Mike
You know that 99% of people who say stuff like that are all talk

He actually puts money into groups who try and push anti-gay laws.

Oh yea, one other difference between Ult IM and now- back then, he just said dumb offensive stuff, he actually joined the anti-gay organizations more recently.

Originally posted by JayDaDon
As a black guy, I don't like when people do this. It's not really the same thing.

I only use the example of how far gay acceptance attitudes still have to come. Racism still exists in some forms, but the worst of it burned out after the success of the 1960's civil rights movement.

Originally posted by Omega Vision
You're right, I'd argue that homosexuals have for much of history had it worse, and gay rights have never had the kind of momentum that black civil rights accrued in the 1960s.

You know what I mean. It's alot easier to avoid getting killed or having your rights taken away by laying low or not letting it out that you're gay, than being born black, something that can't be hidden or changed.