#we literally know he wasn’t entertaining young squires

[kataraavatara]

Well, I’ve already established that “assumption” was both wrong and more than a little homophobic here, especially the wording. Just pointing out that the tweet that started this whole thing is, you know, incorrect. We as the audience Laenor was not “entertaining his young squires” because his partner is a singular, adult man.

But ok, let’s say for arguments sake Alicent doesn’t know about Qarl so the insinuation Laenor would be spending time with multiple young boys is a fair one to make. But he was seen by literally everyone at that damn funeral, including Alicent, crying, standing in the sea and being lost in his grief. A bit nasty to insinuate he magically got over that so he could go back to a party, isn’t it?

“The way Rhaenyra and Alicent speak about Laenor not being present while shit goes down is quite similar. Rhaenyra is just more blunt about it.” Here’s a big difference, though: Rhaenyra says it in private. Being gay is seen as something shameful in Westeros. Pointing it out in public, especially in front of his parents, extended family and the King is still a dig, whether it’s an open secret or not.

Let’s talk about another difference, the context in which the two women were speaking. Rhaenyra is speaking candidly to her husband after a decade of frustration and being humiliated and bullied by Alicent (if you think the opening scene of episode six is anything other than cruel, you’re delusional and just block me). Now for Alicent: here, at about 0:53

When Alicent brings it up, Viserys is interrogating Aemond about where he heard the rumors Rhaenyra’s sons were bastards. First she says “It was training yard bluster, it was nothing.” This doesn’t deter Viserys. Then she asks where Laenor is. We then get Rhaenyra’s explanation and Alicent’s dig. Viserys asks Aemond a final time who told him these things, and then Aemond looks to Alicent, prompting everyone to look at Alicent. The musical cue and Alicent’s facial expression could not be more clear- she’s worried she’s about to be outed as the rumor monger. Only Aemond’s quick thinking saves her, and by Aegon’s surprised “me?” we know damn well Aemond was lying to protect his mom. (And good on him for being a good son). All this to say, Laenor’s whereabouts and sexuality were obviously an attempt at distraction to take the heat off Alicent.

Like, please look at Corlys and Rhaenys faces in this scene and tell me this was an ok comment to make.

And finally “wHaT aBoUt DaEmOn and rHaEnYrA?” Sigh. I’m just going to include a screenshot of a different post I made addressing the exact same thing, because…

Mind you, these are the same people who will write literal essays on how Alicent is flawed and complex. They would rather defend Alicent’s assumption that a gay man—who was in the sea going mad with grief hours before—was away ‘entertaining young squires’ than admit that an aspect of her character is that she is bigoted.

Like, why are YOU—a 21st century civilian—agreeing with the conclusions of a woman clearly just trying to out Laenor/shock people???