A Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin has confirmed that the first entry in the Song of Ice and Fire series features multiple gay characters, and those characters' sexuality will be even more clearly visible on the HBO show premiering April 17.
Spoiler Alert: Before we go any further, however, please take a moment to ask yourself if you mind seeing minor spoilers for the books and TV show. Still here? Awesome, let's move on.
According to Martin, by the third episode in the show's ten-episode first season, viewers will recognize that the Knight of Flowers, Loras Tyrell, and King Robert Baratheon's youngest brother, Renly, are both gay and in a same-sex relationship. The show's executive producer and writer D.B. Weiss tells AfterElton that one scene in a mid-season episode in particular will make fans of non-traditional relationships "very happy."
In retrospect, all the signs are there though I didn't have the slightest idea until later in the series when Renly invites the Knight of Flowers to be his personal guardsmen and the two share an unusually close bond. After all, the two men are both renowned warriors with legions of fawning female admirers and Sansa Stark was certainly enchanted by Tyrell's beauty and grace... Obviously not all of us (ie: me) are as perceptive as Tyrion Lannister.
Martin says that Renly and Loras' relationship was never meant to be a secret:
"I like to handle things subtly," Martin says. "I couldn't ever actually say, 'such-and-such is gay,' because, as I'm sure you know, the word wasn't invented until the 60s. And I'm talking medieval times... But I thought it was pretty clear in context."
Other gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual characters also populate Westeros, Martin says. The Red Viper of Dorne, for example, gets outed as a bisexual character. That revelation does not surprise me in the least.
Weiss says that being on HBO affords the Game of Thrones TV show opportunities to show the complete picture of each character –– including their sexuality –– in a way that wouldn't necessarily be possible elsewhere. And good news for everyone who wants to see more of the series' gay characters –– Weiss says the show's second season, which is based on the series' second book, will see them in even bigger roles than the first season.
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[AfterElton]
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