To be struggling to think of well known books or films featuring homosexuality

[haphazardbystarlight]

Can only think of Oranges.

I'm sure there must be others - any others??

Not well known but VERY gay -The Passage by Justin Cronin. Is actually ludicrous because mostly the characters are male and over-gay -as in they can't meet another man without having sexual activity!!

I agree expectant but not the only theme.

Kim - this is what I worry about for DS if he IS gay, that is. He might not be!!

YY, MrS, it's quite subtle.

I also love Mrs Lintott's rant about how people assume Hector's wife is happy with 'a husband on a low light,' and it does complicate the (deeply irritating) PC myth that all gay people are nobly striving against bigotry and are therefore kind, nice people.

Cassandra Clare's YA series 'Mortal Instruments' - important side character (Magnus) is gay (or bi) but it isn't a plot point as such. One of the other male characters may or may not have feelings for the hero but once again it's not part of the main plot and isn't a 'big deal' and is treated exactly the same as if they'd been boy/girl as far as I remember.

Pretty sure Ben Aaronovitch's 'Streets of London' series has gay and bi characters in it that just happen to be gay and bi.

Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake is fantastic (thank you Sky Arts for that one)

The brooding italian soldier, Carlo Guercio, in Captain Corelli's mandolin is gay, and an incidental character. He falls in love with Corelli, but his being gay is just one of many love stories in the book.

Sorry haphazard, there was a whole page in between me logging in to respond and response appearing in which I think you'd said as much anyway. May I ask how old is your DS? As a fellow English teacher with a 12 yo DS i'd like to suggest that the sons of literature enthusiasts can be very sensitive, the rest is possibly you reading too much in? I know I've been guilty of that in the past.

DM hate everybody kim! Don't take it personally

DS isn't a flamboyant little caricature either but quiet and bookish. He's quite self contained.

I just want him (if he is gay) to have positive messages about this.

Making History by Stephen Fry as a minor plot point

The Liar by Stephen Fry as a major plot point.

Someone mentioned fanfiction on another thread - LGBT (and Ace) invisibility in popular media and literature is one of the reasons fanfiction flourishes. Mainstream writers won't stick them in, fine; we'll just do it ourselves.

Seconding 'making history' by Stephen fry. It's a lovely sweet book, and the gay romance is very lightly played.

He's only 7 expectant but he has said and asked a lot about this. Just lately we have had a lot of questions and 'can I tell you something?' followed by 'never mind!'

I don't want it to sound like I'm pigeon holing him but just the same it's a possibility - even if he isn't gay I want him to be familiar with the concept, if that makes sense.

We live somewhere much approved of by the DM - frightfully white and middle class! I just don't want that to restrict his experience of the world. I grew up here too and had some odd ideas!

"Lost Girl"? Buffy (from season 4)?

Another vote for Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin and for Pride, brilliant film.

Anything by Marge Piercy?

Anthony Burgess, EARTHLY POWERS
Radclyffe Hall (sp?) THE WELL OF LONELINESS

I've said above I would kim but someone asked why I was asking. :)

Oh gosh OP, show your son the Matthew Bourne Swan Lake - followed by Billy Elliott (the main character in the latter grows up to dance the Swan in the former)

As someone has already said if their sexuality isn't focused on then how do we know they are gay? Like dumbledor, there are plenty of characters whose sexuality is never mentioned.

I saw the gay swan lake when I was 12 and thought it was the most beautiful thing ever. They were so powerful and pretty at the same time.

But I'm a Cheerleader - very funny!

Cheese - because gay people sometimes get married, or date, or mention they are attracted to somebody without it being completely central to the plot.

Don't really consider myself hugely PC but I think that's such an ignorant comment.

i watched some of the matthew bourne swan lake and it's really bizarre in a good way. also for more extreme dance watch metamorphosis that's very far away from traditional ballet, my ds made me turn it over .

Sky arts is fab.

A song of ice and fire has gay characters.

The Well of Loneliness, Orlando