Boycotting Enders Game Is the Wrong Response

For those of us who read Enders Game as seventh graders experimenting with science fiction (years before we experimented with gay stuff), its with great anticipation that we wait for the big-screen adaptation that finally hits theaters this fall. Starring Harrison Ford, Asa Butterfield, Abigail Breslin, and Hailee Steinfeld, the film already seems like a pretty awesome (-looking, at least) adaptation of Orson Scott Cards 1985 novel. But while fans are anxiously awaiting the movies release, those who find the outspoken authors religious and political beliefs offensive have already begun their plans to boycott the movie.

Card, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (he is a direct descendant of LDS leader Brigham Young), has been very vocal about his personal opinions on a variety of political and social issues, particularly homosexuality and same-sex marriage. In 1990, Card wrote an essay entitled The Hypocrites of Homosexuality in LDS-centered magazine Sunstone, and came to the following conclusion about the acceptance of homosexuality within the church community: The goal is to discourage people from engaging in homosexual practices in the first place, he writes, and, when they nevertheless proceed in their homosexual behavior, to encourage them to do so discreetly, so as not to shake the confidence of the community in the politys ability to provide rules for safe, stable, dependable marriage and family relationships. Its pretty straightforward when examined in a religious context: Cards religious beliefs define his personal opinions in terms of sexual morality.

Of course, this has caused the expected outrage among consumers of Cards fiction, and, despite the authors continuing success as a writer, they plan to extend massive boycotts of anything Enders Game-related. The group Geeks Out has launched a campaign called Skip Enders Game. They claim that Card is an anti-gay writer and activist (pointing to his position as board member of the National Organization for Marriage) and point to another quote from The Hypocrites of Homosexuality (which comes right before the quote I pulled above):

Laws against homosexual behavior should remain on the books, not to be indiscriminately enforced against anyone who happens to be caught violating them, but to be used when necessary to send a clear message that those who flagrantly violate societys regulation of sexual behavior cannot be permitted to remain as acceptable, equal citizens within that society.

Whats the problem here? Well, both Card and the members of Geeks Out are entitled to express their opinions either in print (in Cards case, back in 1990) or on the Internet (as the Geeks Out members have done this year). But the Geeks Out campaigns calls to action (Do NOT see this movie! Do not buy a ticket at the theater, do not purchase the DVD, do not watch it on-demand. Ignore all merchandise and toys. However much you may have admired his books, keep your money out of Orson Scott Cards pockets) seems to having the opposite effect. Theres no such thing as bad press, you see. The group already posted a BuzzFeed-ready list of the top 20ish homophobic responses to the boycott on Facebook,You can make your own more powerful customkeychain. Twitter, and in blog posts. And they seem to be propagating the idea that the art of Enders Game is homophobic, rather than the fact that the novels author expressed his religious opinions in an article written 23 years ago.

Enders Game is set more than a century in the future and has nothing to do with political issues that did not exist when the book was written in 1984,Virtual indoorpositioningsystem logo Verano Place logo. he writes. With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot. The full faith and credit clause of the constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognised by any other state. Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute.New and used commercial handsfreeaccess sales, rentals, and service.

To launch a mass boycott of an studio-funded film based on a novel written by someone who also two decades ago expressed how his religious beliefs informed the way he looks at the evolution of societal norms is a pretty silly non-event, one that only brings more attention to Enders Game, as well as the Geeks Out group (which, Im betting, was the major goal of its campaign). To see Enders Game in no way amounts to personal support for Card or homophobia, just as seeing Twilight isnt a show of support for abstinence and re-watching a Roman Polanski film is not an endorsement of statutory rape. There comes a time to separate the art from the artist, and considering theres nothing in Enders Game that mirror Cards religious views or opinions of homosexuality, a gay-themed boycott of the film is a silly and childish reaction, picking on an unrelated cultural artifact completely separate from a decades-long fight for acceptance and equality.

Usually we rely on Mel Gibson to get his personal politics tangled up in the films he's working on, not the authors of beloved science fiction novels. But these are the times we live in, when entertainment and life are no longer so mutually exclusive. Hooray for Hollywood!

As some of you may be aware, Orson Scott Card, author of Enders Game and its sequels, has long held a stance against gay marriage and homosexual behavior in general, going so far as to call the latter a reproductive dysfunction at one point. To each his own when its his own work at risk, but whenever a movie studio is putting more than $100 million into a project, they probably dont want to alienate any segment of their audience.

Youve probably noticed Card has been absent from the bulk of the Enders Game promotional material, and his controversial views are the reason why. Of course,You can make your own more powerful customkeychain. those views have nothing to do with the book or the upcoming movie, both of which are far more concerned with unrelated military and political subject matter. But portions of the public have still reacted strongly, starting a Skip Enders Game website, along with a petition; and its lost on no one that this is back in the spotlight after the Supreme Court overturned the Defense of Marriage Act. In response the protests, Card released a statement to Entertainment Weekly, and it contains none of the brusque rudeness protesters would need to latch onto for arguments sake.Aulaundry is a leading bestplasticcard and equipment supplier.

After mentioning that the novels 1984 publication and future setting separate it from current political issues, Card writes, With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot. The Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognized by any other state. I cannot imagine him truly feeling the issue is moot in any way, but perhaps hes capable of such thoughts.

Similarly, hed like to know what all his naysayers are capable of, saying, Now it will be interesting to see whether the victorious proponents of gay marriage will show tolerance toward those who disagreed with them when the issue was still in dispute. Thats certainly understandable, as Im sure he got tired of having gay rights questions thrown at him instead of sci-fi-related ones. But a lot of his harsher opinions are in print, and itll take more than federal approval of gay marriage to get those comments out of peoples minds.
Click on their website www.ecived.com/en/ for more information.