Harry Potter’s gay? You don’t say! (Actually, he didn’t)

Reuters ended up with a spot o’ egg on its face yesterday after falsely reporting that Brit children’s author Graham Taylor, author of the wildly popular Shadowmancer series (the other big children’s series in the UK), had stood up in front of a class of 12-year olds and said Harry Potter was gay.

In fact, Taylor did NOT say Harry Potter was gay, which meant that Reuter’s had to issue a correction with this crow-eatingly painful first line: “The story headlined ‘J.K. Rowling rival labels Harry Potter “gay”‘ is wrong and is withdrawn.”

It’s true that Taylor, a renegade motorcyle-riding former Vicar, was kicked out of the school but not for daring to suggest that Ginny Weasley was a beard. Taylor used the words “crap, poo, fart and bogey” (for the uninitiated, “bogey” means “booger.” Also, a “lorry” is a truck). The reference Taylor made was to some popular English TV show and the Yanks across the pond assumed incorrectly. Oops. Regret the error!

Thing is, that story was about HARRY POTTER. Which means that it was picked up pretty much everywhere (blogland too, natch)and, well, following up with a correction isn’t always as exciting as writing the breathless headlines. So, it’s kind of a big goof.

In any case, it’s pretty obvious that Harry isn’t gay (though I can’t say the same for that nelly Neville). Affinity for duelling wands and broomstick-riding notwithstanding, Harry is clearly a lover of the ladies and clearly well-suited to same (see my previous musings on Harry Potter for my theory on why he’ll make a great ladies’ man).

In other, totally unrelated Harry Potter news, some British scientist have explored the chromosomal implications of mating wizards with Muggles in science journal Nature with “A Darwinian Explanation of Harry Potter’s Inheritance of Magical Abilities.” Scientists think the Harry Potter universe might help in teaching genetics to students. Sigh. Yet another subversive way to expose our children to the ultra-gay double helix.

Rowling Rival Says Harry Potter is Gay [Reuters]
Rowling Rival Does Not, In Fact, Say Harry Potter Is Gay [Reuters]

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