In which I steal from Twitter instead of writing anything myself.
Harleyquinnaid wrote some interesting things on Harley's sexuality to Gail Simone, and I'm just going to copy them here because that is way easier than reading it in the original Twitter format.
I think Harls is more than bisexual - more pansexual. I don't think she really thinks about it, more just follows her urges.
'bisexual' is too much about a gender binary, which excludes lots of people. I feel like bisexual is a term that, these days,you really have to consciously own as being attracted to men OR women, exclusive of genderqueer & trans* folk & I can't imagine Harls ever thinking about it to that extent. More 'I'm hot for you, let's go'. I think if you asked Harls about it, she'd probably define herself as 'mostly straight' & most of her sexual awareness is wrapped up in the Joker. When she's not focused on him, she's showing a teenagerish lust for muscle-men and 'hunks'. Attraction to others ofen seems like theatre from
& I don't think attraction to women/people of the non-Joker persuasion enters her awareness much at all & when it does she doesn't bother rationalising it & if asked would say 'it's a once-off thing', even if it happens repeatedly, LOL.
at essence, more than anything, she strikes me as simply 'queer', a free spirit, & self-defining her sexual identity would seem
so pointless that if asked she'd base it more off her r'ship with Joker (ie: straight, even though their ship is totally queer) simply because she'd failed to ever actually think about it before. & yeah, sure, there's Ivy, but omg, Ivy is her BEST FRIEND! & don't best friends share everything? LOL.
and I think Harley's masochism, submissiveness & little girl identity is a big, huge, inextricable part of her sexual identity.
Further thoughts before I have to go & charm folks into giving me money: Joker & Harley have a heterosexual but very queer relationship given that it is consciously kinky & D/s as well as its many other non-heteronormative attributes.
While I think they both think being non-monogamous is okay for themselves, it is NOT okay for the other & so any dalliance in such happens in subterfuge. Though Joker knows about Ivy & has accepted it because he also knows it doesn't trump his position. Harley, aside from Ivy, I can only see being non-monog for personal gain &... well same with Joker actually.
I think Harls has little awareness of their r'ship as queer because she's never bothered process it that way before. To her it's just a regular old straighty-one-eighty deal. Joker knows, but I also think he has greater awareness of sex & sexuality in all its complexity in general because he likes to fuck with people & knowing about that stuff gives him greater capacity to fuck with people. Cos he's a jerk. (I love the character. But he's a jerk)
I think Harls is more than bisexual - more pansexual. I don't think she really thinks about it, more just follows her urges.
'bisexual' is too much about a gender binary, which excludes lots of people. I feel like bisexual is a term that, these days,you really have to consciously own as being attracted to men OR women, exclusive of genderqueer & trans* folk & I can't imagine Harls ever thinking about it to that extent. More 'I'm hot for you, let's go'. I think if you asked Harls about it, she'd probably define herself as 'mostly straight' & most of her sexual awareness is wrapped up in the Joker. When she's not focused on him, she's showing a teenagerish lust for muscle-men and 'hunks'. Attraction to others ofen seems like theatre from
& I don't think attraction to women/people of the non-Joker persuasion enters her awareness much at all & when it does she doesn't bother rationalising it & if asked would say 'it's a once-off thing', even if it happens repeatedly, LOL.
at essence, more than anything, she strikes me as simply 'queer', a free spirit, & self-defining her sexual identity would seem
so pointless that if asked she'd base it more off her r'ship with Joker (ie: straight, even though their ship is totally queer) simply because she'd failed to ever actually think about it before. & yeah, sure, there's Ivy, but omg, Ivy is her BEST FRIEND! & don't best friends share everything? LOL.
and I think Harley's masochism, submissiveness & little girl identity is a big, huge, inextricable part of her sexual identity.
Further thoughts before I have to go & charm folks into giving me money: Joker & Harley have a heterosexual but very queer relationship given that it is consciously kinky & D/s as well as its many other non-heteronormative attributes.
While I think they both think being non-monogamous is okay for themselves, it is NOT okay for the other & so any dalliance in such happens in subterfuge. Though Joker knows about Ivy & has accepted it because he also knows it doesn't trump his position. Harley, aside from Ivy, I can only see being non-monog for personal gain &... well same with Joker actually.
I think Harls has little awareness of their r'ship as queer because she's never bothered process it that way before. To her it's just a regular old straighty-one-eighty deal. Joker knows, but I also think he has greater awareness of sex & sexuality in all its complexity in general because he likes to fuck with people & knowing about that stuff gives him greater capacity to fuck with people. Cos he's a jerk. (I love the character. But he's a jerk)