Smash the heterosexual orthodoxy

[donnaimmaculata]

Following the confirmation of the Remus/Tonks canon and the subsequent - to use a polite term - discussions about whether or not Rowling has merely submitted to society's heterosexist pressure, I would like to ask a question that's always interested me: What makes Remus gay?

I am asking this, because there are many readers who read the character Remus Lupin as gay. And I don't mean the character's being coded as representing the idea of homosexuality on an allegorical level, which is quite a different thing. (A worrying one as well if people assume that making someone a vicious man-eating monster means that they stand for homosexuality, but this is neither here nor there.) What I am interested to know is what, exactly, about Lupin's characterisation makes readers think he's as gay as a tree full of monkey.

Because, as much as I like writing and reading Remus in slash pairings, I've never read the character in the novel as gay. (He reminds me far too much of my ex-BF for that, but this, again, is neither here nor there.) He's polite, understanding and witty, which, I realise, are qualities that are often contributed to gay men, because they are oh so full of understanding for us women, quite unlike their rude, insensitive, grumpy straight counterparts.

This is a serious question. I'm honestly interested.

Comments

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

I find it very refreshing that it's Sirius who is gay for you ;-)

I think my problem is that I don't have a fixed idea of the character's sexual orientation (I tend to make them all cheerfully bisexual, to be able to avoid all coming-out issues in fics). For me, they could go either way, and I can't honestly say that Remus or Sirius (or Snape, or Harry...) strike me as definitely homosexual (or definitely heterosexual, for that matter). But there seems to be something about Remus' characterisation that makes people think he (Remus-the-person) must be gay. "A perfectly gay character". I read and write more slash than het, but not because I think the characters are gay, but because I, well, like slash.

I don't dislike Remus/Tonks as such; I've read this pairing before and enjoyed it. But I'd have preferred Remus to remain single in canon.

but also because I like the idea of them being completely into [...] each other

See, I'm the complete opposite! I want them to get around ;-)

[archon-mentha.livejournal.com]

See, I'm the complete opposite! I want them to get around ;-)

I've just always assumed that's what Lucius and Regulus are for... *g*