[Glenethor]

Ya know, I am new here, so I will probably give opinions that have been offered <I>ad nauseum</I> to questions that have been beaten to death.<P>That never stopped me before. Just thought I'd warn you...<BR> <P>No. Nope. Don't see it. Know the book(s) well, never saw it there, never saw it in the movie. Context is important here. Tolkien was in the trenches of WWI. He had close friends die at the Somne. Anyone who goes through something like that will be seriously affected, when one second you are talking to a buddy, and the next second his brains are all over your tunic. Remember, the only combatants in those days were <I>men</I>. When your life is in the hands of others, close ties occur. It really is as simple as that. The Fellowship is thrown together in the face of a monstrous Evil that seeks their annihilation. It is no wonder that they become close.<P>Now, the first thing I read about the homosexual or homeoerotic subtext in LoTR was an interview with Sir Ian McKellen, who is openly gay. He was asked about Gandalf's sexuality, and Sir Ian basically said that Gandalf was probably asexual. My first response from reading this interview was 'whaaa???' Why ask these questions in the first place? Incidentally, I had never heard of Sir Ian before LoTR, didn't know his sexual preferences. My visceral response was one of discomfort, because I was concerned whether or not Sir Ian's orientation would distort my perception of his playing Gandalf. It didn't. The contemporary context is one in which homosexuals are actively and publicly forcing themselves into the mainstream. Now, before you think I am a homophobe, I just have a problem with children being exposed to some of the more outrageous antics in the Gay Pride parades. I could care less. One manifestation of their fight to become mainstream is the making of dubious claims on various pieces of art, film, or literature. My opinion is they just want to be a 'part of,' which is ok...but I guess they can't help reading things into texts and images that are there only in their imaginations. It is <I>projection</I>. Now, someone is going to say, 'I saw this, and I am not gay,' to which I say you have been sensitized to consider it in such a fashion. That's fine. I don't see it, because it just isn't there.<P>Hope I don't offend too many people here. Just expressing my opinion.