[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: gay characters, casting Bill

[Jen Faulkner]

On Sun, 15 Apr 2001, Angela Boyko wrote:

> >I'm afraid you're right.  JKR could just drop a gay character in
> >casually, but there would probably be a firestorm in the media. 
> >Children are apparently expected to grow up thinking GLBT folks don't
> >exist. 
> 
> Not wanting to look like a total idiot - but what does the T stand for?

Transgendered.

> There are a lot of people who already believe lots of lies about how
> "evil" HP is, I can just imagine the reaction to a GLB character. If JKR
> wants to write that in, I say fine. 

And if she wants to do it, I don't think a fear of negative reaction
will (or should!) stop her at this point.  Some days I think it's likely
she will (there's lots of characters already present who can be read as
gay with no difficulty -- Dumbledore, to name the first one to spring to
mind), but other days I think it very unlikely.  It's a strange issue in
a way, since there's already such parallels between being a wizard (from
a Muggle family) and being gay.  Both can appear as a trait not passed
on from the parents (Muggle (straight) parents can have magical (gay)
children); both can become for the family an object of secrecy/closeting
(the Dursleys' reaction) or of a PFLAG type of support (the Grangers'
reaction, I think, accompanying Hermione to Diagon Alley and so
on); both (can) involve a subcultural community (though the wizarding
community is arguably not really a subculture, but an entirely different
culture), etc.  Intentional on JKR's part?  For the most part, I doubt
it, but I'd be willing to hear arguments to the contrary.  

Personally, I'd really like to see Sirius and Remus, having worked
through their trust issues, settle down together.  

(Well, I'd most like to see Prof. McGonagall with a woman, but you
know...)

> And I think Seth Green from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" would make a
> wonderfully cool Bill.

Seth Green *is* incredibly cool. 

--jen :)

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