When most authors are confronted with questions of whether a character they wrote is gay, transgender, different race, etc., they usually just weasel out by saying it’s up to interpretation.
But not Outsiders author S.E. Hinton. She had an answer, one that’s really pissing people off. Some dude on Twitter asked her if Johnny and Dally had the hots for each other, and she just flat-out said “no.”
@MrCadeWinston No. Where is the text backing this?
— S. E. Hinton (@se4realhinton) October 17, 2016
@MrCadeWinston ask someone in the '60's how "cute" it was to be gay.
. I have many friends I love & do not want to sleep with.— S. E. Hinton (@se4realhinton) October 17, 2016
Some on Twitter not only thought that Hinton’s response was homophobic but also quite rude. Now a good ole’ outrage mob has it out for Hinton for daring to take a stand on her decades-old characters’ sexuality.
Whenever you realize @se4realhinton is trash & you gotta throw out your copy of The Outsiders
— Gabbie . (@reldnahcbing) October 18, 2016
Hinton spent the ensuing days arguing with social justice warriors incensed about her comments.
https://twitter.com/rogueorgana/status/788218260353265664
I have no problem with interpretation. If someone asks me if I wrote my characters that way I will say no. https://t.co/WkhQuRolDv
— S. E. Hinton (@se4realhinton) October 18, 2016
You technically didn't write them as straight either https://t.co/BKdUodzpTm
— Katie (@svmmersociety) October 18, 2016
I wrote the Outsiders when I was in high school in 1965. I did not know any LGBT people. I did know plenty of guys. https://t.co/8NDcmF53jc
— S. E. Hinton (@se4realhinton) October 18, 2016
Hinton unknowingly stepped into a turd pile of controversy that has been raging as far back as Star Trek, the original series. Subtexters, or people who see homosexual subtext in a work of fiction (i.e. Kirk and Spock) often virulently defend their position on social media. Hinton unknowingly enraged the Johnny/Dally subtexters by ruining the relationship existing in their heads, and therefore must suffer the consequences in her Twitter mentions for weeks to come.
Follow me on Twitter @William__Hicks
