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

[3goodtimes.livejournal.com]

I never really saw him as gay, but I think his condition contains paralells to homophobia especially when related to the AIDS virus. Then again, it paralels a lot of different types of prejudice, pehaps even prejudice in general.

When he says things about parents objecting to his teaching, that conjures up memories of boy scout troop leaders and teachers being fired because of their sexual orientation.

So perhaps this is where the gay assuption comes from.

Of course, we now know he's not gay, but that doesn't rule out bi. ;)

[donnaimmaculata.livejournal.com]

Oh, I perfectly understand Remus-as-metaphor, even though I see it as a metaphor for a dangerous disease rather than homosexuality, but that's my personal perception. However, there seems to be something about Remus' characterisation that makes people think he (Remus-the-person) must be gay.

I'm not opposed to gay!Remus - on the contrary. I slash him myself. But the Remus in the novels does not read as gay to me. At all.