Orson Scott Card, who wrote the book which the film Ender's Game is based on, has admitted that he has profited off the controversy surrounding his opposition to gay rights.

Card's anti-gay views and his support of groups that oppose marriage equality, including the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), sparked calls for a boycott of the film.

In an interview with the Deseret News, Card argued that he has received “no criticism” over his views.

“I've had savage, lying, deceptive personal attacks, but no actual criticism because they've never addressed any of my actual ideas,” Card said in a rare videotaped interview.

“Character assassination seems to be the only political method that is in use today, and I don't play that game, and you can't defend against it. All you can do is try to offer ideas, and for those who want to listen to ideas, great. For those who simply want to punish you for not falling in line with their dogmas, there's really not much you can do about it.”

“My sales go up with such attacks,” he added. (The video is embedded on this page. Visit our video library for more videos.)

Card, a Mormon, has previously opined that most gays are a result of “a disturbing seduction or rape or molestation or abuse” and “many of them yearn to get out of the homosexual community and live normally.”

In a Mormon Times op-ed, Card wrote that he would “act to destroy that government” which supports gay marriage.

Ender's Game opened Friday.