Orson Scott Card's a gay hater? And a mormon?

[The D]

If a well-known author writes and speaks about gays and lesbians in a way that many interpret to be anti-gay, should he be given an award that honors his outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens?

Librarians, authors, and academics have been debating that complex question since January 14, when this year’s Margaret A. Edwards Award was handed to Orson Scott Card. The award, established in 1988, honors an author and a specific portion of his or her work, and is administered by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and sponsored by School Library Journal.

Most people know Card as the talented sci-fi writer who turns out books like Ender's Game (1985) and Ender's Shadow (1999, both Tor Books). In fact, it’s those two novels—set in the future, where brilliant kids are sent to train for war against insect-like aliens—that the selection committee singled out for addressing universal topics about humanity and society.

But Card also writes opinion pieces—in both religious and mainstream publications—that include comments like this: “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.”

And here I actually LIKED the Ender Series... now I'm no so sure.

[IDE]

Theres no reason for you not to like the books.  Do people think Tolkien is racist because of his making the evil men in LOTR dark and swarthy?

[Derrick]

Theres no reason for you not to like the books.  Do people think Tolkien is racist because of his making the evil men in LOTR dark and swarthy?

Yes, actually. Tolkien probably hated Gays as well, being he was incredibly Christian.

[IDE]

Yet he hated allegory.  Which is why he wins...hard.

[B E C K]

You fail for making nearly that whole post a link.


I dunno tho.'  When I hear guys like that are all anti-gay or whatever, the first thing that pops in my mind is that the guy's from different times.  He's old and on his way out.  I don't see how being a homophobe or whatever diminishes an "outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens".  I prefer more relevancy.