If you weren't of the race that was offended, you'd probably have comments and opinions, but I don't think you'd come in and tell someone of that race that they are wrong or shouldn't feel the way they do.

Well, I just brought up the fact here that the really evil characters had French names and basically everyone tried to persuade me otherwise.

I'm not saying that all gays feel the way I do or that they have to. I'm taking issue with being told that my feelings are in some way wrong or incorrect, especially when I'm a member of the group that Rowling's reveal is about.

if this were a racial issue, for example. If you weren't of the race that was offended, you'd probably have comments and opinions, but I don't think you'd come in and tell someone of that race that they are wrong or shouldn't feel the way they do.

Welcome to International Blog About Racism Week.

I'm being harsh, but I get what you're saying. Which is why I don't want to seem like I'm telling how to react--just about readings and relevance and responsibility. I disagree with you, but that's as far as it goes.

For another thing, the society that JKR created in the HP books? Also heteronormative.

I don't think we can say that.

All the numerous romantic and sexual relationships, all the flirting and snogging, all the married couples (regardless of whether or not they kiss in the books) in the HP universe are straight. Homosexuality is mentioned *once* in all seven books, and it's used as an insult. I find it really difficult *not* to read that as heteronormative. There needs to be *some* inclusion of queer characters and/or relationships before I can see it as non-heteronormative. (What's a good word for that? Homo-happy? Anyway.)

All the numerous romantic and sexual relationships, all the flirting and snogging, all the married couples (regardless of whether or not they kiss in the books) in the HP universe are straight.

To get back to Neil Gaiman, and to play devil's advocate, I noticed that people noticed his protagonists were black because the only mention of people's race was to point out who was white.

Do you think that can be achieved similarly with sexual orientation?

readings and relevance and responsibility

This is definitely the crux. These differ according to the individual, naturally. So, my experience of the book (and surrounding information) as a gay female reader isn't necessarily going to be the same as a straight male reading of the book, as an example. I don't even know how to summarize as it is early and I haven't finished my first cup of coffee but I do have a point in there somewhere that I'll try to tease out at some point.

After discussing this with GF last night, she brought up that she was really annoyed with the Epilogue of the last book, which she mentioned to me at the time she finished it (prior to Gay!Dumbledore). It was explicitly stated that all of the characters were (Gud font) married or in hetero relationships, most with kids. I hadn't even thought about it, but there's another example of reading the book through an individual lens that is not incorrect or wrong.

ETA: I'm only continuing the discussion because I do find it an interesting topic, not because I'm feeling ornery and fractious. Though I could still use more caffeine. And possibly some chocolate.

It was explicitly stated that all of the characters were

Yeah, I agree. I think it's pretty clear that the Potterverse is very heteronormative. The question comes in (for me, at least) when you wonder what kind of obligation a writer of children's books has to defy those kinds of expectations.

Which is really just me repeating what's been said.

Do you think that can be achieved similarly with sexual orientation?

Sure, but I think you'd have to have actual gay characters in order to achieve that. *g*

In Anansi Boys, as you said, we come to understand that most of the main characters are black when the white characters are explicitly referred to as white. But that doesn't mean that the black characters' ethnicity/skin color/what have you is obscured or only mentioned obliquely. It's not hidden, just not pointed out as the first thing you know about them. That tactic also works for Anansi Boys partly because *most* of the main characters are black.

I think it's certainly possible to write a story with a lot of queer characters in which only the straight characters' sexuality is explicitly identified, thus defining the other characters as queer in comparison. But I'd also expect that some of those queer characters would, at some point, say or do things that would also mark them as, you know, queer: maybe talk about a date they went on or a celebrity they have a crush on, a movie they went to see, *something*. The story would also have to take place in a setting where, to some extent, queer was the default.

what kind of obligation a writer of children's books has to defy those kinds of expectations.

I would say none. But to do it "off-screen" raises these issues.