Can You Ethically Read Books by Problematic Authors?

I recently read a great piece on the Verge about the new Harry Potter series. The premise is that there is no ethical way to watch the new HBO Harry Potter series. I agree with it as well as any money spent to watch it goes into J.K. Rowling's pockets which will only be used to attack the trans community.

I've never really been a Harry Potter fan, so I can't even say I'm going to boycott it as I was never going to watch it to begin with. Knowing my money isn't going towards supporting Rowling's hate campaign is a good thing. But what about other authors?

I read American Gods by Neil Gaiman in 2023. I loved the book and have since read Anansi Boys and Trigger Warning, both books by him. I added some of his other books to my backlog as well. Then he was accused of sexual abuse from multiple women. Since then, well, I've been unable to justify reading, and definitely purchasing any of his work. I still have Good Omens on my backlog, but I'm not sure I'll ever get to it.

In terms of political beliefs, two other examples are Orson Scott Card and Dan Simmons. Orson Scott Card has expressed homophobic and anti-LGBT beliefs and support for laws to criminalize LGBT rights. I read Ender's Game before I knew of his beliefs and have stayed away from his works since. Dan Simmons is another one who has questionable political beliefs and even spread is anti-Muslim beliefs into some of his books. I naively didn't actually realize this until after he died and after I borrowed the book from the library. I should probably read obituaries instead of just seeing the announcement and remembering I had a book by the author on my backlog.

I've started reading it, albeit guiltily and I'm not sure what to really think. He's dead so it's not like he can actively make donations himself. I borrowed the book, so neither him nor his estate are getting any money from my consumption, though the library did buy it at some point.

I guess part of this post is me thinking to myself at what point can anyone, me specifically, separate the art from the artist. Does death provide a separation point for when it's okay to look past who wrote something, and appreciate the art? I think part of me is trying to talk myself into continuing to reading the book despite the author's politics.

In the end, I opted to stop reading, there were parts of his anti-Muslim beliefs built into the book and I really just couldn’t get past the “ick” of it.

But even with this specific book pushing me away, what about other problematic authors? Is buying a book from a used bookstore okay? Borrowing it from a library? The author isn’t making money from second-hand sales or from me borrowing the book, but it might still sort of give them a platform to spread their hate.

I also don't want to come off as artists and authors have to share my views in order for me to consume them. I don't expect everyone to believe everything I believe or agree with everything I say and think. At the same time, if I'm going to spend money on books, music, or anything else, I want to try to make sure it's not actively going to hurt someone. I think that's where I draw the line. Circling back to the Harry Potter show, the Verge's subtitle put it succinctly:

J.K. Rowling has made it abundantly clear that she will continue using her fortune to harm transgender people.

And that right there is what I want to avoid. I don't want my book or media consumption to be used to harm the transgender community, the LGBT community, any other marginalized group, or anyone else for that matter.