I am so happy. There is a gay couple in canon after all.

[lizzyben04]

No: HPFGUIDX 178231

<snip>
> Perhaps because of the largely young audience of the printed books, JKR
> didn't want to be that explicit in the black and white text of DH.  For
> those of us who go deeper, there is more to be told. The topic of
> orientation at whatever age would not be inappropriate, but perhaps
> playing this down for a wider general readership was appropriate.
> 
> Ideas?
> 
> afn
>

lizzyben:

I think that this revelation actually makes a lot of sense for DD's
character & it does help explain his motivation regarding Grindewald.
And, to me, it also makes Dumbledore seem more human and sympathetic.
That's why it should have been included in the novel itself. I do
believe that JKR was a little nervous about including a gay
relationship because of the backlash from conservatives, but if she
truly thinks it's important enough to tell readers, she should've had
the courage to include it in DH.

DH is already rather inappropriate for young children, IMO, what with
the torture, violence, sadism, etc. I'm not sure what it says about
our society if DD's orientation is more controversial! The entire
Potterverse was extremely "heteronormative", w/all the characters
getting married at the end, no gay couples, JKR shooting down the
Sirius/Lupin ship, etc. so I'm glad that she's at least included one
gay character - it's better than nothing. But still, if she wanted to
send a message, IMO there could've been actual couples within the
novel, or a gay character who's, um, not evil. 

Like other people have pointed out, it sends a bit of a mixed message
that the only "gay couple" ends so tragically, or that they're both
portrayed as quasi-evil by the end of DH. But mixed messages are sort
of par for the course now. Whatever conflicting messages it might
send, IMO it does make sense for DD's character & was heavily implied
within the novel itself. But the Dumbledore/Grindewald ship amuses me
mostly because they seem to have so much in common - brilliant,
talented, interested in world domination. I think they're one of the
most plausible ships in canon!  

There were a lot of things that made me happy in this interview; JKR
saying that Snape found peace at the end & that he got a portrait,
that Neville married & found happiness. And of course a boatload of
Flints (Leaky Cauldron), which don't usually bother me. JKR was
winning me back, until this statement:

"So you ask what lessons, I suppose. The Potter books in general are a
prolonged argument for tolerance, a prolonged plea for an end to
bigotry, and I think it's one of the reasons that some people don't
like the books"

:headdesk: :headdesk: Ow. Anyways, that just stunned me. I can't
belive she really implied that anyone who doesn't like the messages of
the books is bigoted & intolerant, or threatened by her controversial
anti-Nazi stance. 


lizzyben