JK Rowling says wizard Dumbledore is gay

[sanctus]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - J.K. Rowling has outed one of the main characters of her best-selling Harry Potter series, telling fans in New York that the wizard Albus Dumbledore, head of Hogwarts school, is gay.
Speaking at Carnegie Hall on Friday night in her first U.S. tour in seven years, Rowling confirmed what some fans had always suspected -- that she "always thought Dumbledore was gay," reported entertainment Web site E! Online.
Rowling said Dumbledore fell in love with the charming wizard Gellert Grindelwald but when Grindelwald turned out to be more interested in the dark arts than good, Dumbledore was "terribly let down" and went on to destroy his rival.
That love, she said, was Dumbledore's "great tragedy."
"Falling in love can blind us to an extent," she said.
The audience reportedly fell silent after the admission -- then erupted into applause.
Rowling, 42, said if she had known that would be the response, she would have revealed her thoughts on Dumbledore earlier.
Fans on the top Potter fan site TheLeakyCauldron.org (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org) were divided on the news, some uncertain Rowling wasn't going to backtrack on the announcement, others saying it was unnecessary, and some welcoming the extra information on Dumbledore.
"This is even more awesome because it adds another layer to Dumbledore's character, which is already so rich and complicated. I hope he got over Grindlevald (sic) and fell in love again," wrote Amanda.
Rowling said she had read through a script for the movie adaptation of the sixth book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" and corrected a passage in which Dumbledore was reminiscing about past loves by crossing it out and scrawling "Dumbledore is gay" over it.
Rowling, a mother of three, is now estimated to be worth $1.12 billion, making her the first dollar-billionaire author.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" -- the seventh and final book in the boy wizard series -- became the fastest-selling book in history when it was released in July.
More than 11 million copies were sold in the first 24 hours in the United States and Britain.


Copyright © 2007 Reuters Limited.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Hard to care, really. The final book in the series is out (or so she says), Dumbledore's sexuality has never been even a minor plot element in any of them, it seems utterly irrelevant to me what Rowling might think about her characters but never wrote into any of the books. Besides, wasn't Dumbledore killed off? How could it possibly matter now? These are purely fictional characters, something some people seem to lose sight of.

 

[eh1eh]

I'd say she's just trying to get the goat of all those religous freaks who said her books were evil and the like. She can now gloat all the way to the bank.;-)

 

[Locutus]

I'd say she's just trying to get the goat of all those religous freaks who said her books were evil and the like. She can now gloat all the way to the bank.;-)

Sure.

Why else is this even news?

 

[Walter]

All fictional characters are homosexual except for all the heterosexual ones.

 

[eh1eh]

Walter you are a master of obsevation.

 

[Unforgiven]

I'd say she's just trying to get the goat of all those religous freaks who said her books were evil and the like. She can now gloat all the way to the bank.;-)

I think that is exactly right. And why not? Some of those freaks need a good whoopdeedoo up the keister. heh heh heh

 

[eh1eh]

^^^lol^^^

 

[Tonington]

All fictional characters are homosexual except for all the heterosexual ones.

No literary bisexuals, hmmmmmm.:lol:

 

[karrie]

I find it funny that people don't find the notion of a gay wizard leading an entire school full of children to be as foul as if they were to find out a priest was into men before taking his station. If you draw the parallels, he's the head male, teaching them their 'religion'. No way would that not cause a few comments about pedophilia if it were in reference to even a fictional story about the church.

 

[DaSleeper]

Weren't all actors male in Shakespeare's time and young boys playing female roles in the Elizabethan era of acting which might in some way account for the sexual persuasion of a lot of actors......:smile:;-)

 

[#juan]

I read all the books with my grandson and there was not the slightest hint that anyone was homosexual. Bringing this up now, after the books have been unbelievably successful, is a bit of a lark because it means nothing. The books were enjoyable reading ....I'm kind of sorry they're done.

 

[Walter]

Well written op-ed.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/....html?id=82b90591-bd80-4247-ab51-acbc4338481c

 

[daisygirl]

There was such a fuss from some of the parents when the Harry Potter books were first published. In order to be studied in class, all parents had to sign consent forms and some just would not sign. It was the first book which I had seen cause such a stir of excitement for reading among the kids, both boys and girls. Prior to that, it was The Magic Treehouse series but that was a much more primary set, and was definitely not on the same scale.

 

[s243a]

Well written op-ed.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/....html?id=82b90591-bd80-4247-ab51-acbc4338481c

The problem I have with this peace is the attitude that our knowledge that he is gay would diminish him as a wizard:

"However, as a symbol for gay activists eager to inculcate knowledge about human sexuality at the earliest possible age, Rowling's revelation has been a marketing godsend. Sadly, the mighty and inscrutable wizard, in whom sexuality was properly irrelevant, will henceforth dwindle in the minds of readers into the merely gay headmaster."

The author of the op ed piece on the one hand says that there is nothing wrong with him being gay yet at the other hand thinks less of him as a wizard because of it. I think this is very reviling of the negative attitude that people have towards homosexuality. Gayness has nothing to do with your wizardhood. lol

Here is another thought. People say there are no hints in the book of Dumbledore gayness but what about the parallels between homosexuals challenging the mainstream view of sexuality, marriage and families vs Dumbledore challenging the beliefs of the council of witches and wizards. Granted you don't have to be Gay to stand for free thought but maybe there is other clues in the book we are missing.