Was Garak put off by Ziyal's Bajoran blood?

[FPAlpha]

No.. i don't believe Garak was a racist.

He however was a stone cold killer and trained intelligence agent, he's been around the block so to speak and so there was little Ziyal could offer to him at first.

However since his time on DS9 he became "tainted" by contact to non-Cardassians, especially the Federation and there especially by Bashir so he softened up a bit and opened himself to a little interpersonal friendship (most visible in the two parter where he interrogates Odo and fails miserably to torture him to the final conclusion.. something a pre-DS9 Garak wouldn't have a problem with i think).

So i believe he kept her at arms length to keep her safe both from him and from his enemies. He didn't want to "ruin" her youthful demeanour, her naive outlook on the world and her character basically because i think he sometimes yearns to be like that, wants to be a different person.
However she broke through that barrier and they became friends who spent time together.

And i can't understand how you all could think he was gay.. i never got the slightest vibe in that direction from him.

 

[mrs260]

Really? Wow. Personally, I don't know how anyone could think he's straight. (In particular, I'm baffled as to how anyone could think of a non-gay explanation for his first scene with Bashir in Past Prologue.)

If actor/writer intent means anything to you, RH Wolfe and Andy Robinson both considered Garak non-straight.

 

[JM1776]

Frodo Lives said: At the very least, I'd say Garek was bi.

Robinson did afford Garak certain effeminate mannerisms, granted; but the quasi-flirtatious tone of his early relationship with Bashir is easily explained as one of his many veneers—which is why it tends to disappear as we learn more about him.

Garak's purported homosexuality is yet another in his "man of a thousand faces" repertoire, and nothing more.

It's my understanding that Robinson at first was confused and a little hurt by the gay accusations, and only afterwards incorporated the "oh, yes, I'm playing him that way" comments into his party line. If true, I have little problem with it: He certainly wouldn't be the first actor to employ interaction with his audience for the purpose of refining and popularizing the character.

 

[mrs260]

What on earth would make him hurt by it? I've never gotten that impression from any interviews or con reports I've seen.

BTW, "gay" is not an accusation unless one is homophobic.

EDIT: If you do have a linkable reference for your impression, I would like to see it. I'm just a little boggled that the guy who played Liberace would be hurt by someone "accusing" a character of his of being gay!