racism, sexism and sexual orientation in OoP and the rest of the Potterverse

[Schlobin at aol.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 117831

I have been extremely impressed with JKR's expansion of the role of women  in 
the OoP. Women, who had previously been defined solely by their relationship  
with men, now come into their own.
 
What is equally fascinating is that I didn't notice a couple of  multi-racial 
relationships -- in the HP universe, JKR portrays a lovely diverse  
universe....first, I didn't notice that Cho Chang had an Asian name and was  probably 
Asian until the casting for the GoF...and I also didn't notice that  when Fred 
asked Angelina to the Yule Ball in the GoF that was another  multi-racial 
relationship, and then I TOTALLY missed Ginny and Dean Thomas as  another 
multi-racial relationship -- I was so tickled that Ginny was coming into  her own in 
such splendour..
 
I stand by my prediction (btw) that Lupin and Sirius were lovers and/or  
partners.....this theory has been buttressed by the film portrayal of Lupin as a  
gay man (complete with appropriate music during the boggart scene)  -- the  
gay sub plot was really fun (this relates to canon since JKR reviews the film  
ahead of time)...when Lupin says "the owls will be arriving by tomorrow  
morning...parents will not like someone like me teaching their children" and  again 
"people like me are used to losing their jobs and moving"..this is clearly  a 
reference to the plight of closeted gay men in the not so distant past. Also,  
the scene where Lupin turns into a werewolf and he is crying out "Padfoot!  
Padfoot" and the scene where Snape says "quarrelling like an old married  
couple?" to Lupin and Sirius....again it was said that JKR approves changes from  
canon and this was clearly a change...
 
Please..before someone gets bent out of shape and says that JKR will never  
include a same gender couple because she doesn't deal with controversial issues 
 like abortion, drug use, pregnancy, and homosexuality...I agree..we'll never 
see  anyone having explicit sex, or talking about safe sex, or condom use, or 
using  drugs...but same gender relationships that are like Molly and Arthur's 
or Cedric  and Cho's are equivalent to mixed gender relationships....
 
Susan


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