My Take On The Orson Scott Card Thing

If you haven't read it yet, Orson Scott Card posted a diatribe against gay marriage up on the Mormon Times.

There's a lot of talk from people suggesting that everyone should campaign against Marvel continuing to do business with Card and that no one should buy his book. And that's their right.

But I'm not sure I'm going to let that influence me.

Now, I'd feel a little easier about that decision if he was just against gays having the right to be married, but be allowed to have some form of legal partnership with all the rights and protection of marriage. The argument can be made that marriage is a religious institution and not something the state really has the right to apply to any coupling they see fit. Personally, I'd make the argument that the state should recognize all marriages under a secular title, rather than a religious one.

But, no, Card has gone much farther than that.

I'm a muslim. As such, I'm taught that homosexuality is a sin. A long time ago, I wasn't sure I'd buy the work of someone who was openly homosexual.

Then I read Phil Jimenez's Tempest mini-series and an editorial he wrote in the back of DC Comics about the passing of an editor he had worked with at the company. Great mini...and then I find out that the writer/artist was openly gay.

A hypothetical suddenly became a real issue. It forced me to search myself and eventually come to a decision to not let someone's sexuality lead me to not support their work. I even shared this event (while it was occurring) with Phil Jimenez via IM and had the chance to meet him at Wizard World Chicago 1997 (or was it 1998? I can never get the year right). I tried to reach out to him to thank him again for the effect he unwittingly had on my life.

I've gone on to have several close friends that happened to be gay. Despite being muslim, I support gay rights, as I believe anyone who values democracy should at least be open to. Which is odd, I guess, because Card seems to feel that the passage of more and more rights for gays is evidence that democracy is dead in this country.

So, I guess I'm saying that I wouldn't shun Card and his work because everyone is capable of change and...well...who knows what might have happened if things happened slightly different in my life? Might I have been a part of his amen corner if things were just slightly off from how they unfolded? Who knows.

Everyone else can react to his opinions however they want. All I know is that if Phil Jimenez had reacted towards me with animosity instead of understanding, I think the chances of my becoming a more enlightened and accepting soul would have been greatly diminished.