Why I'm NOT Boycotting Ender's Game (and why I don't think anyone else should, either!)

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I first read Ender’s Game when I was in college. It was recommended to me by a friend, and I was instantly hooked. I went on to read pretty much everything Orson Scott Card had written at the time, and have continued keeping up with his new books as they are released. It was only much later that I learned that this beloved favorite author of mine was a radical fundamentalist whose political views are almost 100% opposed to my own. I was devastated to learn that he writes strongly anti-gay pieces periodically for some religious publications and has spoken out publicly against gay marriage. However, that did not, does not, and will not in the future stop me from reading his books. And when they announced the long-awaited (by us fans) release of the Ender’s Game movie this weekend, and I heard that some LGBTQ rights groups were planning a boycott, I knew immediately that I would absolutely still go to see this movie. In general, I try to avoid political discussion as much as possible, but in this case, I’m making an exception. It’s that important to me. So I encourage you to continue reading, and hear me out, even though my opinion may sound ridiculous at first glance.

Politicising Pasta

Love and pasta for all. (x)

A couple of weeks ago, the chairman of Italian pasta company, Barilla, caused controversy by saying that his company would never create an advert featuring gay people, because “I don't think like them and I think that the family we try to address is anyway a classic family." Guido Barilla, the chairman, later apologised, saying that he was merely trying to point out that women play a central role in the family.

His apology, however, did nothing to mollify the many LGBT people and allies who vowed to boycott the brand, and there were countless other pasta brands stepping forward to announce their support for gay people and gay rights. Bertolli was one such brand with came out as pro-gay. They created an advert featuring gay pasta, and the slogan ‘love and pasta for all’, designed to entice in the people that Barilla had angered. Other pasta brands also joined in this industry political civil war, but the question is, why was it even necessary in the first place?

Russia's Still Refusing to Listen

Glimpy holds a die-in in support, Bordeaux, France
© Freedom Requires Wings 2013

The Vodka Boycott, the Sotchi boycott, and now To Russia With Love; the latest in the list of global movements to denounce homophobia in Vladimir Putin's Russian Federation.

LGBT groups around the world in over 50 cities organised mostly kiss-ins on Sunday 8th September. Other groups, like Glimpy in Bordeaux, France, planned die-ins to focus more on the beatings and murders of young LGBT people in Russia by right-wing extremist groups.

President Obama met with Russian LGBT organizations during the G20 meetings and politicians and celebrities across the globe have denounced the Kremlin's growing level of homophobia, but seemingly to no avail.

Vodka on Ice : Gay Bars’ Chilly Relationship with Russian Politics

Recently, LGBT activist and columnist Dan Savage stopped drinking Russian vodka to show his disgust towards the latest anti-gay laws in the country.

Soon after, he found gay bars and nightclubs all around the world, from Chicago to London, Hollywood to Sydney, San Francisco to New York, joining him by refusing to serve the famous Russian beverage.

In recent days, I've read a lot of articles saying that boycotting Russian vodka in gay bars is pointless, and heard that point of view from quite a few LGBT activists who I have a lot of respect for, including Nikolai Alekseev, organiser of Moscow’s first Gay Pride back in 2006.

However, as much as I respect Alekseev, and as much as I don’t always agree with everything Dan Savage says, I must agree that in this case, I agree with Savage on this boycott.

Why? History repeats itself.