omg I was complaining @FelicityDisco about Sherlock and then I remembered this and then I read it again and I can literally feel the stress reactions in my body https://twitter.com/RoseLerner/status/160635695566827522

I feel like I was saying something relevant to this situation just the other day....oh right https://twitter.com/RoseLerner/status/1279941697921789953

I just. Are you SERIOUSLY going to sit here and tell me that it's straightforward deduction that a man who doesn't date and lives with a man is straight because HE SAID HE AVOIDS DATING WOMEN?

BUT YES. THAT IS IN FACT WHAT STEVEN MOFFAT SAID

Like I don't even think that's a real Holmes quote! I think Moffat is confused about the opening of Scandal in Bohemia which ACTUALLY says that "As a lover [of women is implies], [Holmes] would have placed himself in a false position"!!!! BUT EVEN IF IT WAS A REAL QUOTE

augh I'm mad that I'm engaging with this nonsense. but here is the original quote

1. this is watson GOING OUT OF HIS WAY in the FIRST PARAGRAPH OF A STORY to assure us that holmes's interest in an attractive and scandalous opera singer IS DEFINITELY NOT ROMANTIC ABSOLUTELY NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT. how is this heterosexual

2. the idea that we should take this at face value is blatantly absurd because again, watson writing about holmes talking about himself and if they are dating watson isn't going to put it in the newspapers?????

3. also this is not the only holmes story ever and holmes textually has strong emotions about watson on a NUMBER of occasions

like it's not even true that this is the only time we see holmes get emotional about watson???? watson loves to exaggerate for effect, he can't even keep track of where his own fucking wound is???? BUT

apart from anything else this is just such an unwillingness to engage w/a text in any kind of common sense historical context. straight white men need to stop acting like just bc THEY feel free to share every trash thought that crosses their minds w/o fear of consequences (1/2)

that everyone has always just said exactly what they meant at every moment in time. a scandal in bohemia was published 6 years after a new law in the uk made all homosexual activity punishable by up to 2 years hard labor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labouchere_Amendment

*by men.

holmes COULD NOT say openly that he was gay so the fact that he DIDN'T SAY SO is totally irrelevant to a discussion of whether he was or not.

and refusing to admit that is such self-serving intellectually dishonest bullshit. IF YOU DIDN'T WANT GAS LIGHTING IN YOUR HOLMES ADAPTATION YOU FAILED

anyway i have recced this about 8 million times before so please bear with me, but if you want a really great analysis of why holmes is coded queer, read "strangers" by graham robb

(one of my favorite parts even though it's not real evidence is where he's like "everyone knows instinctively that holmes is gay, just think about how bad all the adaptations that give him a girlfriend are")

(i know it's not real evidence but it's SO FUNNY)

(he also presents a metric fuckton of real evidence)

(the opening of scandal in bohemia is also iirc where we learn that since watson got married holmes's addiction has been worse, which i almost don't want to put in the thread because it's so sad)

he then is glad to see watson but tries to hide it, and opens with "you look good, you've gained 7 and a half pounds since i saw you last"

I JUST DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT STORY YOU'RE READING, MR. MOFFAT

omg now i'm just reading scandal in bohemia HOLMES LOVES WATSON SO MUCH

Watson literally HAPPENED TO STOP BY RANDOMLY after he hasn't visited in a while and Holmes's client is like "Uh this is a confidential meeting" and here is what happens

'I rose to go, but Holmes caught me by the wrist and pushed me back into my chair. “It is both, or none,” said he. “You may say before this gentleman anything which you may say to me.”' THIS CLIENT IS A LITERAL KING, AND HOLMES IS LIKE SORRY WATSON'S DROP-IN TAKES PRECEDENCE

"If you think I'm going to let Watson walk out the door after I haven't seen him in weeks because he left me to get married, just so I can solve your case and make a bajillion dollars, YOU ARE DELUSIONAL SIR"

wow it just occurred to me that holmes is covering the whole rent himself now. breakups are the fucking worst. he probably could use that king money!