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

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

I've never watched BB, but I very much doubt it!

[rosina-alcona.livejournal.com]

I would love one of my friends to go on, just so I could sit next to the lovely Dermot O'Leary on the Big Brother's Little Brother couch on eviction days...

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

Hahah. Actually, it's the sort of thing Ian would do. Maybe I should persuade him... I don't want to go on telly though. People I don't like would see me and that creeps me out (yes, I'm strange, and a control freak!).

[rosina-alcona.livejournal.com]

you have a point there - this is why I haven't the least desire to be famous. I always immediately think of the bitches from school or exes that would see me and slag me off!

I always thought that if I accidentally got famous, I would pay my friend to pretend to be me and do all the public stuff for me...

[fluffyllama.livejournal.com]

I always thought that if I accidentally got famous, I would pay my friend to pretend to be me and do all the public stuff for me...

Ha, snap! And I thought it was just me ...

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

My back-up plan for when I'm grown up is to write a bestselling novel, get rich and never have to work again. This, of course, would make me famous, and since I, too, want to avoid that, I've been thinking of possible noms de plume, just in case.

No, I haven't got an idea for the novel yet. But I've got plenty of pen names to publish it under *g*