A sci-fi version of “tolerance”

Crossposted at Equality Loudoun.

With the recent Supreme Court ruling, the gay marriage issue becomes moot. The Full Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution will, sooner or later, give legal force in every state to any marriage contract recognized by any other state.

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.

The above is science fiction writer and anti-gay fanatic Orson Scott Card (humorously, he once referred to marriage between two people of the same gender as itself “an act of intolerance,” openly advocated the criminalization of “homosexual behavior,” and more recently threatened to “act to destroy [the] government and bring it down” if marriage equality became a reality). Card is upset because some people who might otherwise be his fans have publicized his long history of inflammatory statements targeting LGBT people, and suggested that our money could be better be spent elsewhere. Among normal people, making such informed choices is known as “the free market.” For Card, though, “tolerance” demands our silence regarding his behavior.

This is actually a relatively tame example in the explosion of hysterical reactions to the rulings among the anti-gay right and its allies. Others have made various bitter and nonsensical predictions, such as that “Christians” will be carted off to jail for opposing marriage equality, or that “activists” will “attempt to force all churches to perform all ceremonies.”

At least Card acknowledges that the issue is no longer in dispute, and that ultimately the Full Faith and Credit clause will overrule regional prejudice. Perhaps he understands how the free market works, after all.

Here’s a pro tip: If Card and his allies are really so anxious about an impending loss of “tolerance” for themselves, I propose that it would be in their best interests to ensure the prompt passage of ENDA (the Employment Nondiscrimination Act, which would provide recourse against employment discrimination on the basis of gender and sexual orientation). That way, if someone like me decided to fire someone like Card because his open heterosexuality offends me, he would be in a position to petition his government for justice.

2 thoughts on “A sci-fi version of “tolerance”

  1. Epluribusunum Post author

    He really is a very sick man. It’s sad.

    “The gay marriage issue.” “Proponents of gay marriage.” Here we see a page from the cowardly Delgaudio playbook, a pretense that all of his troubles originate from his oh-so-innocent beliefs about “marriage.” It only demonstrates (and this goes for both of them) that he knows how horrifying normal people find his actual statements about LGBT people. Here’s the full Card quote about criminalizing “homosexual behavior” (or what a normal person would call “living one’s life”):

    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.

    There it is, we cannot be “permitted” to be “acceptable, equal citizens.” And such laws shouldn’t be used “indiscriminately” (how inefficient!), but only to punish and deter any of us who would have the impertinence to think ourselves “acceptable, equal citizens” and (“flagrantly violate”) encourage others to think of themselves as inherently worthy human beings also.

    What a sucky amoral little pud. No “tolerance” for you, pal, sorry. That window closed a long time ago – as did the window on Barbara and the other Delgaudio apologists when they failed to condemn his saliva-flecked attack on the very humanity of real human beings. That was a moral dividing line. We’re done with you.

  2. Liz

    You know, every time he talks crap about my family and friends, I find it easier to avoid giving him my money.

    I used to love his writing. I used to look forward to my son reading his books. I used to want to see the movie.

    Not anymore. He doesn’t get another penny out of me.

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