The 'Other' in the HP books (was: Harry's Sexual Preference SHIP) - LONG

[msbeadsley]

No: HPFGUIDX 80838

> The McGee said:
> <snip> This is both sexist and homophobic. <snip>

> Amandageist said:
<snip> Susan is a veteran of the highly charged, but high-quality 
> debates on Female Roles in HP, and the semi-related Lack of 
> Homosexual Representation thread, of close to 2 1/2 years ago. 
<snip>

How timely, considering--I am going to detour OT here, but relevant 
nonetheless, and I will bring it back:

Yesterday, I attempted (ineptly, as it turned out) to participate in 
the weekly "chat" (my first ever) and found myself in a (what I 
thought was the main) HP chatroom with one other person. After what 
appeared to be a glitch, the other poster commented, "Gay computer."  
I inquired (with suspicion but without heat) what that meant and was 
told "Where I'm from it means "off."  You know, stupid.  Like my 
computer was acting." I inquired, "Well, what if I'm gay and object 
to your usage?" The answer I got was "Then I guess you're overly 
sensitive." I warmed up then and said something along the lines 
of, "And maybe I think that attitude belongs to a git." My companion 
shrugged that off: "I've been called worse." I became pedantic and 
said I did not approve of the pejorative usage and that I found it 
needlessly hurtful, which was ignored.

As the conversation went on, I found, along with other tidbits that 
came to light such as the poster's location (Dallas, Texas) and 
religious faith (I didn't ask, but Southern Baptist), the poster was 
13 years old.  About the time my age came up (old enough to be your 
grandmother), said poster expressed that she was getting taken off 
the computer and had to go. (And what was a Southern Baptist 13 year-
old from Dallas doing on any part of HPfGU's chat? Unknown.)

I am recounting all this because I have been very torn myself about 
what I have read here regarding whether or not certain characters in 
HP might be gay, and whether or not it is appropriate/desirous to 
have an obviously gay character in the series.  Until yesterday, I 
was leaning towards the "unnecessary" school of thought.

The exchange yesterday included enough details to assure me that the 
youngster had indeed read the books.  This is a Harry Potter "fan."  
Who thinks that the use of "gay" as a pejorative is normal.

(Personally, I fall into that part of the population which happens to 
be attracted to people pretty regardless of gender. I live a het 
lifestyle now; my current relationship, which has lasted nearly 
twenty years, is monogamous and with a man; I don't *think* I have an 
agenda in this regard.)

Before yesterday it was easy for me to pretend that anyone who 
embraced HP & the WW must surely be "enlightened" enough that, if 
Justin or someone else *did* turn out to be gay and that fact made 
its way into the narrative, that would be fine.  After all, the 
*only* overt mention of homosexuality in the books has been *Dudley* 
sneering, "Who's Cedric--your boyfriend?" After all, we all know 
Dudley is a pig, tail or no tail. Don't we? In spite of what follows 
and our reluctant sympathy for him in the wake of the dementor 
attack? In spite of the fact that his mother very shortly gets closer 
to becoming a sympathetic character than she has in the series thus 
far?

Hmmm.

Is Rowling an arbiter of social mores and attitudes? Is she? She 
tackles prejudice and slavery. She deals with several types of 
morality. She deals with political corruption. I believe absolutely 
that, as a writer, the story is hers: it should reflect those issues 
which matter to her. I think the pureblood/mudblood/muggle aspects of 
the story are there not because she sat down and put them on a list 
of "issues" to tackle in the readership's collective unconscious, but 
because these are things which resonate for her personally and so 
found their way into the story with little or no premeditation on her 
part.

I personally think homophobia qualifies and could fit in seamlessly 
with those things which she presents as smuts on the face of the 
human race. But I would not presume to tell her so. Nor would I place 
any *responsibility* on her to add a gay character. I am not part of 
the school which opines, "Hey, she's developed all that influence and 
now has a *responsibility* to use her super powers for good." 
(Somebody get that lady a cape and a pair of tights.) All I can do, 
after yesterday, is hope very hard personally that the issue 
resonates enough with her at some point before she's finished, that 
it, too, finds its way into the story.


Sandy aka "msbeadsley" who did find the main chat, thanks to someone 
named "--maus-," and had fun for a while and who is now off to 
investigate the historical McGee