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« on: August 21, 2020, 09:59:31 AM »
As Andrew pointed out, there are no restrictions on topics for discussion here (apart from the ones he lists) and the subject of Barrie's sexual orientation has been discussed in the past. The accusation of paedophilia has come up, in particular due to Piers Dudgeon's dodgy so-called biography, where he happily twists the facts to suit his theories. Barrie did indeed like the company of children, but he also had many adult friends, both male and female. He was attracted by female beauty, as evidenced by his marriage to Mary Ansell and his friendship with Sylvia LD - although these never lead to sexual relationship. In his lifetime, there never was a whiff of scandal about him.
It is believed he may have been asexual. When asked pointedly, Nico Llewelyn Davies asserted that Barrie felt "no stirrings in the undergrowth for anyone: man, woman, child or dog".
Going back to the "pretty boys" article, I think Barrie's humour was quite particular to his time and doesn't always work 100 years later!