Let's Boycott Ender's Game!

So here's a sticky wicket: do I go see Ender's Game or not? Huh? What's Ender's Game? Oh sweet mother of Lloth, what kind of nerd are you? Fine, here, Ender's Game is a 1985 novel set in the future in which the military trains child prodigies to be leaders in the upcoming war against an alien race hilariously named 'the Buggers.'

"Wait a sec, 'Bugger' means what in your language?"

This book is to Ender's game
what season 9 was to Stargate.

The book has been made into a movie and I was all about going to see it until I was reminded of an uncomfortable fact about the novel's author, Orson Scott Card...I mean other than the fact that he cranked out like fifteen unnecessary sequels to Ender. Ok, fine, Ender's Shadow was good, I'll give you that one. And I kind of enjoyed Speaker for the Dead, even though most people didn't like it. But by the time he got to Shadow of the Hegemon you could tell he was just milking it and...ok, I'm getting off track. What I'm talking about is the fact that Orson's kind of an icky person. He belongs to the National Organization for Marriage (remember these guys?) and is a vocal opponent of gay marriage. And I don't mean in a 'I have my beliefs, and you have yours' kind of way but in a 'gay people will destroy 'merica kind of way.'

Here's a link to an essay he wrote in which he insists that gay people serve no function in society and if two dudes are allowed to get married, then an army of righteous straight people should bring down the government by any means necessary. I think 'holy shit' is the phrase you're searching for.

And here's a link to a blog post I wrote explaining that gay people
exist because of saber tooth cats. Ball's in your court, Orson. 

"Hey gaymos, you can get married
in California now, so go see my movie." 

-Orson Scott Card, 

extending the olive branch

In an effort to see that Card, and by extension, groups like NOM don't get any more money with which to fund their bullshit efforts to fight against marriage equality, a geeky LGBT group called Geeks OUT is organizing a boycott of the movie. In response, Card issued a statement which I think was an attempt at reconciliation, but comes off as him being a passive aggressive dick:

"It will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance towards those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute."

Oy. Where to begin? Ok, first of all it's always kind of hilarious when intolerant people call for tolerance of their intolerant attitude. As though the issue of civil rights was just a friendly debate over tea between two equally valid, yet opposing view points and not say, a struggle by a disenfranchised minority to be recognized as equal citizens under the law. 

"I believe I should be allowed to marry the person I love."
"And I say you're a godless, hellbound abomination whose very existence imperils our society."
"Very well, then let us agree to disagree. Excellent tea by the way."
"Thanks, I thought I'd try a new blend."

Hurray for partial recognition
of marriage equality! 

And what does he mean 'when the issue was still in dispute?' Same-sex marriage is still illegal in 37 states and opponents of marriage equality, like the NOM (to which Card belongs) are at this very moment engaged in a vicious legal battle to make sure that their bullshit pseudo-religious objections to hot Takei sex are forever enshrined in our laws. Sure there have been some important pro-equality victories in the last few months, but in what way is this issue not still in dispute? 

But does any of this mean I can't go see Ender's Game? Is it right to treat the film (or the book for that matter) as tainted simply because the author espouses a bigoted viewpoint? I mean, the book itself wasn't anti-gay, just Card. And the movie has Harrison Ford and Ben Kinglsy in it and the special effects look great and...

uhhg...but the trailer makes it look pretty cool and it has been a pretty disappointing summer for sci-fi movies, and do I really want to miss this one just because...

...I mean there's a chance it could be pretty decent and what's $11.50? It's not like the money goes directly to NOM, and what about all other people who helped make the movie? Also, going to see it would actually be really good, uh, for the economy and..and...uh...

"Yeah, not bloody likely."

...sigh. So much for that. I guess it really does mean I can't go see it, at least not without feeling like a terrible person. Yeah, I know that me not going probably won't affect the box office in any serious way, I mean there plenty of other people who either don't know about the author's politics or don't care about them and that's fine. But maybe if enough people skip it and let everyone know why they're skipping it, it could send a message that Card's name and his attitudes are a liability to any movies based on his work and maybe they'll think twice about giving him any more money (and therefore the groups he belongs to). At least until he makes an apology, stops supporting anti-gay organizations, completely reevaluates his worldview and...goddamnit, I'm never going to be able to see this movie am I, Orson?