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

[sarcasticmuppet]

No: HPFGUIDX 80867

<snip> 
> 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.
> 

Do you have any teen to pre-teen kids?  Because the term "gay" has 
been in their language for some time now, meaning exactly what Dallas 
said:  stupid.  Refering either to actions of a person or object or 
cultural things (ie movies etc).  Did I invent this?  No, so don't 
start with the ad hominem and messenger-killing please.  I just 
happen to know where Dallas is coming from.  Did she mean gay people 
are stupid?  I really don't think so, because I doubt she knows 
enough gay people to have a valid opinion.  It's just a hominem, a 
word that sounds the same but has a different meaning.  Is it 
appropriate, probably not terribly so, but I would have been more 
offended if she had said "&*^$%#&$&*$ COMPUTER WITH THE F^#$*^% *^&%
^*% GLITCH!!!" but that's just me.

<snipage>

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

If she did, she would lose me as a fan.  If she decides for the sake 
of being a superhero to include gay characters or liberals or 
abortionists or hippies it would mean she cares more about her 
contingency than she does about this story which she has been babying 
for over a decade.

--sarcasticmuppet--