[HPforGrownups] Re: Harry's Sexual Preference

[Sue Porter]

No: HPFGUIDX 79395




>Jen wrote:
>
>Being gay isn't a curse or an affliction, so I wouldn't see JKR as
>particularly 'doing anything' to "poor Harry" if she were to make the
>character gay or bi.  Gayness isn't a "problem" one has to solve; the
>bigotry you refer to is the problem.
>
Sue:

Well, that was the point I was trying to make, albeit not put very well. I 
am not gay myself, but neither do I see it as an affliction or problem. I 
don't think you can help who you fall in love with, and I don't think you 
chose to prefer one sex over another. As you rightly say, the problem would 
be in the bigotry.

The depiction of Lockhart as a flamboyantly dressed character makes many of 
us, myself included, assume he is gay, and the reaction of the men is almost 
universal - they think he's a poncy git (don't have the book here to find a 
quote sorry). The women seem to be the ones who like him.
He is made ineffectual, ridulous and sidelined by Harry almost from the 
start just from his appearance. Judged and found wanting. Of course the fact 
that he IS ineffectual, and ridulous ability wise, we don't find out until 
later. Is he a stereotype? Maybe. Probably. Another generalisation - women 
love gay men, they are always the best looking! A Robbie Willams song - 'all 
the handsome men are gay'.

So, maybe not overt bigotry, not yet, but I wonder if Lockhart had his 
memory back and 'came out' so to speak what the reaction would be?

Sue

_________________________________________________________________
ninemsn Extra Storage is now available. Get five times more storage - 10MB 
in your Hotmail account. Click here  http://join.msn.com/