... which turned into a rambly thinky post about Dumblequeer and gay Mandalorians.

[were_lemur]

Finally read parts of Sacrifice (the parts that DIDN'T have to do with the BIG SPOILERY THING that I refuse to admit happened, kthnx). Let's just say ... my curiosity about the whole Gay Mandalorian thing finally got to me.

Comments

[pet_lunatic]

I agree JFK's outing of Dumbledore was a bit weird and artificial. I always think writers can do far more for the cause by having gay characters who just go around behaving like the normal human beings they are, without anybody making an issue of their sexuality (unless it's in some way relevant to the story, of course). If she was keen on being all gay rights-y, why didn't she just make a casual reference to Dumbly's sexuality in the books? Hence teaching kids (and adults, who frequently need the lesson even more) that gay just *is*, that it's a neutral personality trait irrelevant to value judgements about morality. And if she wasn't being gay rights-y and the character just happened to be gay, why make a big deal about it anyway?

[were_lemur]

I've been trying to figure out how she would have dropped a reference in casually; KT had the advantage, there, of NOT writing mostly from the POV of a seventeen year old boy.

The only way I think the information could have been integrated, would be to put it in Rita Skeeter's bio. But that was such a hit piece that Harry would have almost certainly had to have engaged with the accusation, one way or another. Which would have made it a plot point, not a casual reference.

Personally, I would've preferred a casual mention of a living gay couple. Maybe in the otherwise-useless epilogue? Maybe (totally picking names at random here) Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil or Colin Creevy and Blaize Zabini bringing their kid to go off on the Hogwarts Express, just like everyone else?

*shrugs*

Though maybe if there'd been that counterpoint -- a happy happens-to-be-gay couple shown as raising a family like everyone else -- then the eleventh-hour reveal of Dumblequeer wouldn't have stuck in my throat so much. This way it's making the only

[pet_lunatic]

I agree completely!