OMG! Dumbledore is GAY?!?

[Daremo]

I was more shocked at the fact this made front page news on CNN.com.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I liked it better when story book characters were Asexual..Why does sexual preference , straight or gay, even have to be involved in books for kids.

Perhaps even gay kids might like someone to look up to. Did you guys ever think about? I know I would have treasured a few role models when I was a kid.

[The Bat]

Perhaps even gay kids might like someone to look up to. Did you guys ever think about? I know I would have treasured a few role models when I was a kid.

Hey....You had David Bowie!

[ABMAC]

Perhaps even gay kids might like someone to look up to. Did you guys ever think about? I know I would have treasured a few role models when I was a kid.

Dumbledore was already a character worthy of respect before this announcement, right? It shouldn't change anything, but Rowling knows that people will rethink the character now, this time filtered through their prejudices and phobias. For some, it'll change their level of acceptance of gay characters, whether positively or negatively. It's sensationalism at its worst because it will do as much harm as good. I'm sure it will sell more copies of the books.

I understand your point about positive role models, but Dumbledore isn't sexually active in any of the books, so the question of his sexual orientation seems to be entirely moot at this point. If you can't tell he's gay when you read the books, what's the point of making this announcement now, other than, as Russ said, to keep Rowling in the spotlight? When the buzz over this dies down, will she announce that Harry Potter hates muslims, or that Hermione agrees with Bush's foreign policy?

[Dave Mc]

I liked it better when story book characters were Asexual..Why does sexual preference , straight or gay, even have to be involved in books for kids.

Exactly. Whether he's this or that is totally irrelevant to the story and is not part of the plot in anyway.

As Anthony stated, The books are written, the interpretations are now for the readers. Any character in any book who's preferences are not defined could be either way in the mind of the author. But once the book is written, and no definitions are present, the author can state what she had in mind, but that doesn't make it fact. Fact is what is in print, and only what is in print. She may have thought about his preference, but she didn't actually write it, therefore, there is none.

[noelani72]

I liked it better when story book characters were Asexual..Why does sexual preference , straight or gay, even have to be involved in books for kids.

Exactly what I thought. When I heard the news, I thought...ohhh big deal...why bring it up? Prof. Snape hasn't had a love interest in any of the films...should we read between the lines and conjure up a theory or two.

What is it John Stossel says..."Gimmie a Break".

[LadyZod]

Am I the only one that thinks she might just be having a bit of fun? Perhaps she's been asked so many questions over the years, that she finally said to herself, you know what? Next dumb question gets an equally dumb answer.

The books series is over correct? And the fanboy question was what? Does Dumbledore ever find true love?
What kind of useless question is that? She could just say yes, and have to follow it up by making more stuff up (the point of ending the series: not having to make more stuff up about her characters). She could have said no, and you know the fanboys would demand more information, so she'd have to make more stuff up. Heck, if I'd been asked a question like that, I might have answered with something as equally as shocking... to stop the questioning.

Or maybe she was just tired of being asked the same question over and over and just said, you know what? Stop it. Stop with the Does Dumbledore hook up with anyone crap... he's , uh, GAY, ya that's it, gay. Now stop with the asking.

[megoscott]

Maybe she's plotting a series of prequels where Dumbledore explores his sexuality as a young wizard. She's testing the waters. Or maybe she's giving the fan-fic people something to work with.

[ABMAC]

Or maybe she was just tired of being asked the same question over and over and just said, you know what? Stop it. Stop with the Does Dumbledore hook up with anyone crap... he's , uh, GAY, ya that's it, gay. Now stop with the asking.

Aren't gays allowed to find true love?

This thread is not going to be allowed to end pretty.

[Hornet of Doom]

I hate it when writers do this. I'm not saying it's wrong for Dumbledore to be gay, but it just seems like lazy characterizing. It's like she was looking at the character and thought "You know, this character doesn't seem deep enough... What can I do to him that won't affect anything in the stories, but will make him more interesting?" Gayness should not be a crutch. If she couldn't make a character interesting without giving him some characteristic that's out of the ordinary like that, she's not as good a writer as she's made out to be.

Maybe she'll come out and announce next that Harry was left-handed. Look out, instant interest!

[MegoGeekJr]

Finally!

Something to say in school to all the kids!

[cjefferys]

It seems kind of obvious in retrospect, what with Dumbledore never having had a love interest mentioned and basically being asexual for his entire life.

Someone not seeming to have a love interest and being asexual equals being gay? I'm pretty sure that homosexuality and asexuality are completely different things.

[Adam West]

I am a big fan of the Harry Potter series and J.K. Rowling.

It was never her intent to write the Harry Potter series as kids books, they were marketed that way. In fact, it was the book publisher who came up with the idea of using her initials instead of her real name JoAnn since publishers believe kids prefer male to female authors. She never dumbed down anything for anyone.

She also was very meticulous about creating back stories for every character as well as what happens to them afterwards. She is not making things up on the fly for shock value. If you read any of the books, even the most obscure and seemingly irrelevant characters are interesting because she took the time to think about and create back stories for every single character in the book.

Even though the Harry Potter series is over, she is planning on writing an entire Encyclopedia of Harry Potter which will go into great detail about every single character in the book. I don't think it's going to be out for a few years but it is supposed to be a monstrous sized book and all of the profits are earmarked for charity.

I'm sure Dumbledore's love interest with Gridenwald will be mentioned in the Encyclopedia so rather than shock people later, she is answering some of the questions that will eventually be revealed anyway.

[Count Creepyhead]

Maybe she just meant he's really happy??

[ctc]

>the author can state what she had in mind, but that doesn't make it fact. Fact is what is in print, and only what is in print.

Hmmmm.... I gotta disagree with this one. For a character like Spiderman I'd say it holds true, since so many authors have had a chance to work on the character. But for a creator owned and driven character I'd have to give credence to things the author says as well as what ends up in print. It's entirely possible for a character to have a lot of back story that never makes it into the finished story. It's also possible for a creator to rethink things, or come up with unexpected facets during the creative process. Ultimately the world is THEIRS.

'Course that doesn't mean you the audience has to LIKE it; but I find it presumptuous when readers second guess a creator on their own work.

As for Dumbledore being gay? Why not? Seems like a non-issue to me. Doesn't affect the established story, and maybe the author came up with a nifty idea while writing the original series; and this is part of it. Maybe it's something she always had in mind but didin't include in the main story for some reason.

Don C.