Sorry, FNAF creator Scott Cawthon, political donations don’t work that way

Scott Cawthon, creator of the Five nights at Freddy’sof the series, went viral over the weekend after his political donations were posted on Twitter. the donation list was a who’s who of homophobic and transphobic lawmakers, including Tulsi Gabbard, Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump. Fans responded to Cawthon with a mixture of anger and feelings of betrayal, while others left supportive social media posts with the hashtag. #standwithscott on Twitter.

Scott Cawthon created the Five nights at Freddy’s series in 2014. Since then, his horror franchise about being stuck in a pizza place with murderous animatronics has spawned numerous sequelae, spin-off, books, and a movie. The last FNAF Game, Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach, is produced by Steel Wool Studios and is slated for release later this year.

Cawthon responded to the backlash with a long message on the Five nights at Freddy’s subreddit expressing his love for his LGBTQIA + fans and shocked by the anger responses he received.

“I would like to think the last seven years would have given me the benefit of the doubt in how I try to treat people,” Cawthon wrote in the present-Reddit thread locked.

Cawthon also upheld his decision to donate to Donald Trump and other anti-LGBTQIA + Republicans, saying,

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“Even if there were candidates who had better things to say directly to the LGBT community and bigger promises to make, I thought their positions on other issues would have ended up doing a lot more harm than good. to these communities. ”

Cawthon wrote that following the disclosure of his donation, he and his family were stunned by people threatening to come to his home.

I unequivocally agree that Cawthon should not face threats to the safety of his family because of his political affiliations. And of course, Cawthon has the right to back any candidate he likes. But his insistence that he loves his fans and that his personal actions regarding the people he has hired, worked with and befriended over the years should speak louder than his gifts. policies makes no sense.

I never met Cawthon. I have played and enjoyed his games, and from the fan testimonials I’ve seen online, I have no doubt that he is quite the genuine, kind person that people say he is.

But none of this excuses the irreparable harm he has done to the people he claims to love.

There is an unfortunate but prevalent feeling among non-marginalized people that to be racist, homophobic or transphobic you have to be an active and malicious participant. in racist, homophobic or transphobic actions, or avoid people affected by racism and homophobia. It is the defense of the “black friend”. Cawthon can’t be homophobic or transphobic, look at all the LGBTQIA + people he’s befriended.

“I never cared about anyone’s race, religion, gender or orientation,” Cawthon wrote. “I just treat people like people, everyone the same, and because of that I ended up with a very diverse group of people that I have worked with over the years. “

But like racism, homophobia and transphobia rampant in this country are systemic. It is a vast network of laws and practices that work together to oppress marginalized groups. And because it is systemic, only systemic action can reverse it. This means passing laws that protect the rights of people in the LGBTQIA + community. It also means not support the kind of people who vote for laws that deny these communities the right to vote. It doesn’t matter that Cawthon has so many diverse friends, for his gifts have enabled the continued oppression of those friends.

Here are some of the biggest successes of its chosen candidates:

This is Republican Mitch McConnell. He is the Senate Minority Leader and the politician who received Cawthon’s largest donation, $ 5,000, almost double the previous one.highest recipient. Just last week, McConnell said he opposite the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, a bill that seeks to expand access to the vote and prevent states like Georgia and Florida from impose restrictions on voters that primarily affect people of color. It is also responsible for the confirmation of a number of anti-LGBTQIA + judicial candidates.

This is Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard is the only Democrat on Cawthon’s list, receive $ 2,500. In 2020, Gabbard introduced a bill that would make it illegal “To enable a person whose biological sex at birth is male to participate in a program or sport activity intended for women or girls”. The bill would effectively ban trans women and girls from participating in high school or college sports.

This is the former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson. In 2019, he and President Donald Trump attempted to impose a rule Critics have said he could have banned trans women from seeking refuge in federally funded homeless women’s shelters.

And this is Donald Trump. The former president who:

Prohibited for trans people in the military.

Reduced health protections for trans people.

I tried to eliminate the protections of LGBTQIA + people against discrimination at work.

Oh he’s responsible for this too much:

So while Cawthon might be the cutest person to walk in God’s land, the fact that he willingly allowed, with thousands of dollars, those directly responsible for objectively making the lives of gay people worse. . undermines whatever personal feelings he has for his queer fans.

Cawthon did not apologize, and seemed indifferent to the idea that he might suffer negative consequences for his actions.

“If I am canceled, then I am canceled,” he wrote. “I don’t do this for the money anymore; I do it because I like it.

He also said the outcry against him prompted him to consider retiring from video game development.

“If people think I’m doing more harm than good now, then maybe it’s better if I get canceled and retire.”

He ended his statement by reaffirming his love for the Five nights at Freddy’s community, writing: “I have always loved and will continue to love this community and this fan base, even if one day it no longer includes me.”

But Cawthon’s declaration of love to his queer fans is in direct opposition to his actions. AThis is how he cannot really claim to love them. What he is doing is a fundamental misunderstanding of how hate works in this country, and his own guilt.