Harry Potter is a CHILDREN'S BOOK re: rape sexual preference

[historygrrl1]

No: HPFGUIDX 79516


Fred Uloth wrote:
> Now I'd like to say that *nobody* in the Harry Potter books is gay. 
> Rest assured that they are all celibate until we are told otherwise. JKR 
> is more likely to tackle her social issues through magical maladies a la 
> Remus Lupin disease and it's parallels to children born HIV positive. 
> This allows those who are ready for such topics to explore them and those 
> that aren't to just enjoy the fantastic story.

I think the characters will basically all be celibate throughout the 
series.  Rowling is writing a story that focuses on an epic struggle 
between good and evil.  It's becoming more and more apparent with 
each book that she includes very few extraneous details.  So she 
won't give us a serious love affair or sexual relationship unless it 
reveals something that is critical to the central plot.  

But the overall celibacy of the characters within the story Rowling 
delivers doesn't mean that the characters are asexual.  Or 
heterosexual.  Or celibate in the moments when we, as readers, aren't 
watching them.  Those things don't appear to be important to the 
story right now.  Nonetheless, they are important to a number of 
readers, for a number of reasons.

There's nothing wrong with wondering about the sexuality of fictional 
characters, or forming theories about them, even in the absence of 
conclusive supporting evidence.  Some of Rowling's characters are 
sexually ambiguous, and given Rowling's attention to detail, I assume 
she made them that way on purpose.  She has also presented Harry's 
life in a way that allows some aspects to be read as a metaphor for 
coming to terms with one's sexuality.  Again, I can't imagine that 
she did this by accident.  

Literature which is intended for children has, historically, been 
meaningful literature.  Covert and overt sociopolitical commentary 
has been the norm, not the exception.  Rowling appears to be trying 
to make a point with her characters on this issue.  This space, which 
is intended to allow adults to discuss her work in exquisite and 
excruciating detail, is a terrific place to work out exactly what 
she's saying and what it means. 

There are a number of topics I regard as more interesting than the 
question of character sexuality, like parsing out the prophecies, 
figuring out how Wormtail cut off his finger, and determining the 
provenance of the Longbottom's supply of chewing gum.  But I'd hate 
to see the character sexuality discussion disappear.

-historygrrl1