As previously reported in Windy City Times, Orson Scott Card's controversial position on LGBT rights has prompted an online protest and public boycott of Ender's Game, the November big-budget Hollywood movie based on his famed 1985 novel by the same title.
Geeks OUT!, the organization leading the charge in the "Skip Ender's Game" boycott, rallies to empower and promote the queer geek community, according to their website.
According to Danny Bernardo, queer theatre artist and Chicago Event Coordinator for Geeks OUT!, Spin Nightclub will be hosting an event on Nov. 1, as part of the nation-wide campaign.
"We are focusing on the celebration of community and unity rather than letting it be a 'hate on the film,' which I feel a lot of the campaign's detractors are painting it to be." Bernardo told Windy City Times. "We're very excited to also partner with other local LGBT organizations on the campaign."
Bernardo said that after discussing the matter with Chicago Comics, a local comic shop specializing in independent and small press titles has agreed not to carry the print version of the new digital Superman that Card was meant to write and pulled the copies of Ender's Game in support.
In 1990, Card published an article titled "The Hypocrites of Homosexuality" in Sunstone Magazine in which he called for the use of criminal laws against gays and lesbians.
"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 society's regulation of sexual behavior cannot be permitted to remain as acceptable, equal citizens within that society," Card wrote.
In 2009, Card joined the board of directors at the National Organization for Marriage, a group that actively opposes same-sex marriage.
Card has stated he no longer advocates his stance on criminal laws. In a response published in Entertainment Weekly, Card called the issue of marriage equality for gays and lesbians "moot."
"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," he said.
According to The Guardian, Milk screenwriter and LGBT activist Dustin Lance Black has come out in opposition to the boycott, calling it "a waste of our collective energy."
Marc Ruvolo—the owner of speculative/science fiction, fantasy and horror bookstore Bucket O' Blood, and a gay man—told Windy City Times he first read Card's novel as a young person. Ruvolo said it was only in the last few years, through his work with the National Organization of Marriage and the Proposition 8 campaign that he learned of Card's position.
Ruvolo said he sells used copies of Card's work in his story.
"But I try to enlighten people as much as possible that there's better things to read," he said. "I specifically try to push women science-fiction writers, especially women science-fiction writers of color, too, because there's so much better stuff in the world."
Ruvolo supports the boycott, despite Black's comment.
"If somebody is going to actively work to infringe on your rights, then you should be able to actively work to infringe on the only thing that he seems to care about, which is money," he said.
Ruvolo said that Card's position is a unique one within the science-fiction community. He said many authors, gay and straight, refuse to speak or attend the same conventions as Card.
"Science fiction writers, a lot of times, are intellectuals and scientists and philosiphers and people who dream. A lot of them just think it's ridiculous."
