Whoopsie, DC Comics is in a jam - they've hired sci fi novelist Orson Scott Card to write a story for the upcoming digital edition of Adventures of Superman. Sounds like a great idea, right? A renowed novelist penning the world's greatest superhero icon... but wait, hold the phone. Orson Scott Card is not only virulently anti-gay, but sits as a board member of the National Organization for Marriage.. you know, the one trying it's hardest to stop marriage equality. And of course since there are lots of gays/lesbians/transgenders who are comic book loving fans in addition to there being many out creators in the comic book industry, this has not gone down well.
As with the Chick Fil A debacle last summer or with the drag queen cruise in December, there are calls for a boycott of the book should Card stay and activists are also calling for Card to be fired immediately. As usual, there are lots of people screaming about free speech and, as a new phenomena in this ongoing discourse, the LGBTQ community is getting pushback, calling us 'intolerant' as a way of diffusing the message that we've worked for 40 years to put together.
Of course, in America, 'free speech' means that Card can say whatever he wants and can sit on any board he wishes. Homophobes with money are a dime a dozen and boringly common. What else is new? But I also don't have to buy the book. But just because there's 'free speech" that doesn't remove consequences from said free speech.
But to those pooh poohing us gays, that we are all hot under the collar about this - it's not a matter of holding my boyfriend's hand in public, no it's the right to stay alive.
We are 'intolerant' because we are tired of being bullied, we are tired of having to be on the defensive 24 hours a day, we are over having to explain to people who are not GLBTQ why we are angry and exhausted. And we are tired of violence against our brothers and sisters. And we are tired of some of those dying because someone didn't agree with the 'lifestyle'.
And this is why we go bat shit crazy when it seems like the gains we've struggled so hard to make over the past 40 years look like they are being chipped away.
Yes, we have made crazy big strides these past few years. it's been amazing. But we're only somewhat close to being equal citizens. Oh sure I can get married here in New York, but not across the river in New Jersey. How should that not make me upset? And that's a 'special' right? I should be glad to have the 9 states that I have and shouldn't want any more? Uhm Ok.
I don't really see that DC is the devil for hiring him... I think it's a very slippery slope to travel to impose that ever company background check every employee not just for crimes but for political views...
Personally Im more upset by GLEE's destruction of all the gay/lesbian relationships on the show, how Unique's role has been diminished and how the show has created a weird 'the gay was just a phase' vibe. I guess coming from a show that was so revolutionary about it's out and proud-ness, it feels like it's going backwards to me.
What's good is that ten years ago this type of thing would have gone unnoticed and unchallenged by 99.9% of the LGBTQ community - those were seriously apathetic times my friends. And while I feel sometimes maybe we're going too far in the other direction, Jesus H, I'll take overindulgence over apathy any day.
And that's what's happening in the world o Will Clark today.
As a longtime geek, i'm torn. I've actually read a lot of Card's work and he is one of the best sci-fi writes around. He's even a fan of my favorite show "Firefly" and contributed (along with an out and proud fellow fan) to a collection of essays about the show. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Which makes his stance on gay rights all the more painful. It's actually put a sour taste to any of the work he's done. I would have preferred not to know, but since I do, I can't support his work anymore.
Posted by: Pup Ruff | February 12, 2013 at 08:32 PM