Mollpants you were meant to feel that way because that's what the writer wanted you to feel. You were meant to think Freddy was dumb and admire Higgins intelligence and therefor ignore teh gay.
OMG I'm disappointed that Pickering wasn't mentioned in the article. He was probably lavender too but as a little girl I wanted her to be with Pickering because he seemed so sweet compared to nasty Higgins.
I'm also amazed at all these people admitting to loving this as a kid and teen I thought it was a weird thing that I loved it so much and that I was a total geek. I used to go to auditions as a child and sing "without you". It got me into child roles in The King and I, South Pacific, and a musical version of A Christmas Carol, but I never exactly filled my childhood dream of playing Eliza Doolittle, unless you count a one scene enactment we did in English class when I was 15. I guess I at least got to do it there and shocked my teacher because she wasn't expecting that kind of performance.