Wow.
NEW YORK - Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. J.K. Rowling, author of the mega-selling fantasy series that ended last summer, outed the beloved character Friday night while appearing before a full house at Carnegie Hall. [Link]
Although it would have certainly been interesting had the world of Harry Potter had a gay student…I was never expecting this.
Is this good? Bad? Indifferent?
October 21st, 2007 at 10:48 pm
I think it’s pretty cool. It doesn’t really make a difference, but it does give him a tragic past, since the only man we know he was attracted to was also a very bad man. What I like so much about the “outing” is that J.K. Rowlings could easily have never said anything about it, but when asked point blank about Dumbledore’s love life, she set the record straight (or not so straight) immediately. I also like that she nixed a remark in the script for the 6th movie where Dumbledore alluded to a woman he once found attractive.
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:20 am
I’d totally let him huffle my puff. Haha! j/k
October 22nd, 2007 at 6:54 am
I think it’s awesome. What makes it most awesome was when Rowling, commenting on the fundamentalists who have boycotted the HP books because of witchcraft, said (and I paraphrase), “This will give them one more reason to hate me.” The irony to me is that I always suspected Snape was gay (until the last book, of course).
October 22nd, 2007 at 11:54 am
Adam: so, so wrong.
October 23rd, 2007 at 10:19 am
*grins*… How are you doing?
I’ve been totally re-thinking things lately. Care to give me some sage words of wisdom to put me back on the path of good?
October 24th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
This came as a surprise to me as well, but I think it’s really interesting and I’m glad J.K. Rowling did things the way she did. I never would have expected it either, but it does make sense!
October 25th, 2007 at 10:15 am
In all honesty if JK Rowling was trying to make a statement about homosexuality, she has gone about it the wrong way. There were no clues in any of the books, in fact no references to Dumbledore’s love life whatsoever. It has surprised everybody but in the end it has proved an uneccesary detail. The sole purpose of this was to improve JK Rowling’s image and to voice her views on political correctness, and equality in society. I can fully understand why she is being criticised for this “groundbreaking” revelation but in the end it had no bearing on the story. Dumbledore is her character and therefore she has the right to mould him however she sees fit. Readers need to keep in mind that an author creates traits in character’s for a specific reason. Since this doesn’t effect the story, I can only assume it’s to better JK Rowling’s reputation and to champion the fact that homosexuals can assume high positions in society - and they say I’m a critic!
October 25th, 2007 at 10:52 am
Mr. Anon: a lot of people would agree with you. I’m not sure that it adds anything to the story, now that the story is done. Had it been worked/woven into the story line all along and brought some new or interesting plot element, they yes, it could have been “groundbreaking”.
As for why she did it, I’m not sure how it really improves her reputation - especially with the very, very right wing…I really can’t figure out for myself why she chose to reveal that part of the character - she just as easily could have said yes, dumbledore found love, but it caused him great pain in the end…etc, without ever revealing his sexual orientation.
I have, however, wondered if any of the diverse students who attend the school would be non-straight. I’m sure there were some, but obviously that plot point would not have added to the story so it was left out.
October 25th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Ahhh… but the story might not be over. Now the war of the wizards comes to a bookstore near you and she could go all NC-17 on us. Perhaps Sir Ian will be cast as Grindelwald.