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fectively, but this does make us ask why this is an awful
wonder; because it is new to Fionnula or because it is
homosexual in nature? In the end, Fionnula’s coming
out is scarcely a coming out at all as such, “It’s just.
Fionnula shook her head, Ah think ah like girls as much
as boys. She paused a long time, Maybe more.” Fionnula
at no point refers to herself as lesbian, even in a
hypothetical sense. This could be an example of the
trend towards “sex without labels” which Andy Medhurst
envisages, or, “the arbitrary nature of sexual definition,
the extent to which our sexualities are shaped by
the larger social discourse” (Martin, ‘Roland Barthes:
Toward An Ecriture Gaie’, in Bergman ed., 1993). Or,
in Warner’s narrative, as in the Port, lesbianism might
really be the Love that dare not speak its name.
The Port for Fionnula is similar to Leith for Renton,
or the scheme for Denise, in that it is a place where
the taboo on homosexuality remains firmly in place. As
Andy Medhurst notes, “the ‘normalisation’ of homosexuality
is a very recent development …there are still
plenty of places where queers have to operate in virtually
pre-War secrecy.” As we have seen, these places
are often the very places that Warner and Welsh set
their narratives, small towns and the housing schemes
which surround big cities (effectively small towns in
themselves). Given these settings it would be unrealistic
to expect an ‘out and proud’ attitude from all the
characters. This does not, on the other hand, mean that
BUY Irvine Welsh books online from and
Scottish fiction as a whole must behave as a small town
where homosexuality is concerned.
However, in The Sopranos Fionnula and Kay ultimately
present a challenge to everyone who is gathered
for the finale in the Mantrap, or “the Night Fionnula
McConnel Slow danced Wi Kay Clarke” – unfortunately
to the rather twee accompaniment of ‘There Are
Worse Things I Could Do’. At first they aren’t ‘star
attraction” as “Kylah spun onto the floor doing a pretty
good waltz, with her arms wrapped passionately round
the sanny bin.” If that had been how things had stayed
then a sense of perspective on the situation would have
been retained. In the Mantrap, however, the act of two
girls dancing together is a very big deal indeed. Although
their friends are watching, the main audience is
of men, who move nearer to get a better look. Indeed, in
one sense Fionnula and Kay embody an exceptionally
clichéd male fantasy – not only lesbian, but Catholic,
and schoolgirls as well! Hence it is quite a relief that
when they do actually have sex Warner does not dwell
too much upon the scene, and emphasises the fact that
Fionnula feels as if she’s falling in love.
This marks quite a departure from Morvern Callar,
where the strong homoerotic subtext between Morvern
and her best friend Lanna is played out in a series of
rather exploitative scenes. In some cases a male character
is present to assume the role of voyeur, at other
times it is left up to the reader to do so. For example,
551
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