Vision of Characters (was: Slash and homosexuality)

[pippin_999 <foxmoth@qnet.com>]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, Queer as John 
<john at q...> wrote:
> Carole <lrcjestes at e...> said:
> 
> > I strongly disagree with this opinion, John.  Even though the 
text might read as you interpreted it, I don't think Meira is saying 
that homosexuality can't exist without ruining the world of Harry 
Potterfor them. 
> 
> Sorry, I mustn't have been clear when I said:
> 
> > If one's image of the HPverse is one in which gay people 
don't exist -- andcan't exist without "ruining" it -- then one must
be 
prepared to receive charges of homophobia.
> 
> I didn't think in the slightest that Meira was saying that. 
However, someone _did_ use the word "ruin" with regard to 
mental images and non-explicit slash.
> 

John, can you point me at this message? Because I can't find 
that anyone said that. Carol said this in 13124:


>>I loved the HP books to begin with was because they 
were *interesting* books that I *could* read to my then 7yo 
without  worrying about language, violence, or sex. So do we ruin 
the magic of these books by bringing the characters into the 
adult world of sex, violence, and slash? <<

Please note that Carole said the "adult world of ...slash." I don't 
recall anywhere  in this discussion  a blanket statement 
that  slash per-se ruins the books, or that no slash is suitable for  
children.

 Diana  said parents might not want their children exposed to 
"gay pairings"  of "loved characters" because they didn't want  to 
lose the image of HP that they had, "lose" not "ruin."

As I understand it, the image Carole and Diana are concerned 
will be lost is not that the Potterverse is gay-free, but that 
characters like Ron, Harry and Hermione are sexually safe there, 
including safe in their sexual orientation. To a kid, Potterverse 
characters are like real people, not fictional constructs whose 
sexuality can be altered to suit.

BTW, is anyone out there writing slash they consider suitable for 
seven year olds? 

Pippin