slight sexuality rant, including slight spoilers for HPatHBP

[escritoireazul]

Is anyone else taking all the rants about the Tonks and Remus situation a little negatively. I mean, yes, some of the rabid shippers are scary, but that's not what I mean, nor is the hatred of Tonks what I mean (though I like Tonks and I am a Remus/Sirius shipper), but all the anger at the idea he might be bisexual.

I can still see Remus/Sirius before Sirius died. I can see Remus/Tonks, too, if a bit of a hesitant Remus, with good reason to be hesitant.

It's not even the people who were first kneejerk upset about what anyone thought had killed their favorite ship. It's the anger now that people believe Remus can't be read as strictly homosexual, as if being bisexual is worse than being heterosexual. I've heard so much anger about it, about how he's so wrong now, and people can't believe JKR would ruin the two most flamboyantly gay characters and ...

I was so happy to see a strong, interesting, non-slutty bisexual character to which I could relate. And it's really frustrating for so much anger to come down on the bisexual part of it.

I? Really enjoyed the book. I'm putting together my thoughts on it now, and I do have some nitpicks with it, but I thought it was an interesting read. Falls to third on my list, after PoA and GoF. A long sight better than OotP, in my opinion.

Comments

[ladyvorkosigan.livejournal.com]

I was going to post the e

[ladyvorkosigan.livejournal.com]

Sorry about that. I was going to post almost the exact same post except I think you said it better. So, in total agreement with everything you said.

[escritoireazul.livejournal.com]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I've had an involuntary break from fandom lately (too much work, overtime, and not enough time), and now I'm back, I've been trying to decide if I was being touchy or not. I think not, I think it really was a problem. Maybe the whole thing has died down now, I hope.

Also, I love your icon. She is so beautiful and did such a good job with the role.

[nygoldfish54.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen any anger (though I have been avoiding the internet since about 1 AM yesterday morning) but if it is there...I must say, I don't totally understand it.

I get that people like their ships. Totally. I love mine. Personally, I can't understand the Sirius/Remus ship for the sole reason that Sirius comes off, to me, as totally heterosexual. I've never thought of Lupin as homosexual either. I never gave his sexuality a lot of thought. But the fact that he could be bisexual rather than strictly homosexual would not present a problem to me either.

In fandom I understand making Lupin homosexual, but in cannon, in the books, I'd expect him to be totally hetero. It's just not the type of story that's going to introduce themes of homosexuality. It's too adult and controversial for the series itself, if you understand what I'm saying.

Sorry this was so long and rambly. It just struck me as odd that people would find Lupin being hetero (or even bisexual) surprising.

[dearestmaya.livejournal.com]

In fandom I understand making Lupin homosexual, but in cannon, in the books, I'd expect him to be totally hetero. It's just not the type of story that's going to introduce themes of homosexuality. It's too adult and controversial for the series itself, if you understand what I'm saying.

It's all about the subtext. And I think having it that flat out obvious that he's straight kind of ruined that :)


But, Carla - I hope that my rant on my entry didn't make you feel like you wrote in here. I didn't really see it that way - and you know, I can agree with it. I just didn't like the way the pairing was introduced, and I have a tendency to get carried away. And anyway, Kristine, you're right, too. I didn't expect it, even though I love my S/R.

[escritoireazul.livejournal.com]

Oh, I didn't find it long and rambly at all, I found it very interesting to read. I can understand not expecting to see homosexuality in this, because it is a children's series and doesn't really break into anything too controversial (except for class issues and race issues, which aren't as controversial in this type of book as homosexuality would be, anyway).

I agree with what Vic said, down below, that it is all about the subtext, when it comes to cannon.

As for the anger, I'm not seeing as much of it now, but I've been away from fandom for awhile, busy with work and barely able to keep up with my main journal. I hope it has all passed.

[nygoldfish54.livejournal.com]

Ah, subtext. I must admit, I don't see it much...but I've read some good S/R stuff and appreciate the pairing.

The anger that I saw from S/R shippers is mostly gone, from what I can tell anyway. Look out for the H/Hr shippers though. They still bite, often and hard. ;)

[karenhealey.livejournal.com]

I am pissed off in general against people ranting against the book for scuttling their ships. JKR is under no obligation to fulfil their ship or even leave it open to negotiation! And the sexuality of the characters doesn't have to be canon-acknowledged or supported for someone to write it straight/gay/bi whatever. That's one of the reasons fanfic is THERE.

[schizoauthoress.livejournal.com]

Well, I was angry that Rowling seemed to one-dimensionalize Snape at the end of the book (although I've been reading between the lines since I finished the book, and have come to other conclusions). But hey, my own fanfiction has been so shoved away from canon that I don't care anymore.

Fanfics are fanfics. Canon is canon. One cannot change the other. (don't you wish people would get that through their fat heads?)

And hey, you never told me you were a Baby-sitters Club fan!!

[escritoireazul.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, not at all. I even agree with you, I didn't like the way R/T was introduced and I think it was poorly handled and more of a(n) (unnecessary) sidenote than anything else, and I even like R/T (though not as much as I adore S/R).

It was mostly on the R/S forums, which surprised me. Not that they'd be upset, but that they'd be so vehemently angry and unaccepting of any other lifestyle option.