Confession time: I love the Golden Compass! The books and the movie, and I have to share two totally gay and homo and GAY items of Compass-lore.
Firstly, the film. One of the story’s main characters is a ferocious rusty-armoured ice bear (that’s panserbjorn!)named Iorek Byrnison who thrives on war and combat. Who better to voice this CGI marvel that the Queen of the Theater herssself: Ian McKellan! Is now the time to admit that I have fantasies of being the hot twenty-something on his arm at the 2002 Oscars? Yes, now is the time. I saw the movie with friends and family, and the gays were in agreement, Iorek Byrnison was hot!! Really, it was McKellan’s deep, booming… voice.
So he’s a hot bear. Ian McKellan.
Secondly, I came across this poster for the London run of a theatrical production (I’m talking real theater, with a stage, curtains and actors, honey) of the His Dark Materials trilogy. I think you should read the fine print of the poster – a didactic on how to read the alethiometer– closely and carefully. The 17th meaning of the sun symbol is homosexuality! Ya’ll we got a spot on the Golden Compass!
The times…. they are a changin’
Or how about a CD that warns parents about all about the evils of Phillip Pullman’s trilogy of novels?
I wonder how the films will deal with the two androgynous, but clearly male, angel-lovers in the third novel?
This article appears in December 7 • 2007.