'Harry Potter' Author Reveals That Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Is Gay

[dot-matrix]

'Harry Potter' Author Reveals That Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Is Gay 
 
by HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

NEW YORK (Associated Press) --  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.

After reading briefly from the final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," she took questions from audience members.

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

She then explained that Dumbledore was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, whom he defeated long ago in a battle between good and bad wizards. "Falling in love can blind us to an extent," Rowling said of Dumbledore's feelings, adding that Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down."

Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."

"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction."

Potter readers on fan sites and elsewhere on the Internet have speculated on the sexuality of Dumbledore, noting that he has no close relationship with women and a mysterious, troubled past. And explicit scenes with Dumbledore already have appeared in fan fiction.

Rowling told the audience that while working on the planned sixth Potter film, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," she spotted a reference in the script to a girl who once was of interest to Dumbledore. A note was duly passed to director David Yates, revealing the truth about her character.

Rowling, finishing a brief "Open Book Tour" of the United States, her first tour here since 2000, also said that she regarded her Potter books as a "prolonged argument for tolerance" and urged her fans to "question authority."

Not everyone likes her work, Rowling said, likely referring to Christian groups that have alleged the books promote witchcraft. Her news about Dumbledore, she said, will give them one more reason.


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Meryl]

Yay for J.K. Rowling! 

Here's a little clip from MSNBC.

[Mikaela]

And explicit scenes with Dumbledore already have appeared in fan fiction.

  

Hmm. if this was a sure indicator of characters being *truly* gay, then there wouldn't be many straight popular fictional characters to be found in this world!

I'm trying my best to see this in a positive light, but I think it's hard.

I mean, she doesn't say this before *now* - when the last book has been well and truly sold and her dollars are safely in the bank? That don't impress me much. And honestly there wasn't at all a clear indication of Dumbleore being gay in the book itself, which would have been the right thing to do. I read it and didn't come away with that understanding except that there certainly was material for slash writers to work with there - but there's good material for slash writers to work with for nearly every character in the books.

Moreover;

Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."

This just rubs me the wrong way. The way she in the last book depicts domestic bliss with 1950's-style happy families with loving moms and dads and lots of cute children as the one happy ending to which all heros and good guys should aspire, her statement can easily be read to the point that it was D. being gay that was his tragedy. I know (I think) that she didn't mean it like that, but.... it still *sounds* like that! And why does gay love always have to be the tragic, hopeless one of the bunch? Is this yet another morality tale?

Sheesh. I wish I could manage to be more positive about it. You're too good for me, Meryl. 

[delalluvia]

 

Hmm. if this was a sure indicator of characters being *truly* gay, then there wouldn't be many straight popular fictional characters to be found in this world!

I'm trying my best to see this in a positive light, but I think it's hard.

I mean, she doesn't say this before *now* - when the last book has been well and truly sold and her dollars are safely in the bank? That don't impress me much. And honestly there wasn't at all a clear indication of Dumbleore being gay in the book itself, which would have been the right thing to do. I read it and didn't come away with that understanding except that there certainly was material for slash writers to work with there - but there's good material for slash writers to work with for nearly every character in the books.

Moreover;

This just rubs me the wrong way. The way she in the last book depicts domestic bliss with 1950's-style happy families with loving moms and dads and lots of cute children as the one happy ending to which all heros and good guys should aspire, her statement can easily be read to the point that it was D. being gay that was his tragedy. I know (I think) that she didn't mean it like that, but.... it still *sounds* like that! And why does gay love always have to be the tragic, hopeless one of the bunch? Is this yet another morality tale?

Sheesh. I wish I could manage to be more positive about it. You're too good for me, Meryl. 

I'm with you on this Mikaela.  While it's nice that writers of some epics like to add backstory to their characters, usually it's hinted at before in the books.  Rowlings seems to take the 'safe' way out - after the fact - after books are already bought and the chance of boycotts, possible backlash and negative press gone.  In a backhanded fashion, she is trying to show that she displayed diversity in her characters even though she wasn't overt about it - did anyone even suspect except for the character's tendency to dress well being pointed out?  And like Mikaela said, why did his story have to be a tragic one?  Why not a happy one?   

[mvansand76]

Cross-posted this on fanfic board, because of this:

"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction."

 

[David In Indy]

Cross-posted this on fanfic board, because of this:

"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction."

 

This shows that she's been reading some of the Harry Potter fanfic out there. I wonder if Annie is reading some of ya'lls BBM fanfic too! 

[Jeff Wrangler]

I'm with you on this Mikaela.  While it's nice that writers of some epics like to add backstory to their characters, usually it's hinted at before in the books.  Rowlings seems to take the 'safe' way out - after the fact - after books are already bought and the chance of boycotts, possible backlash and negative press gone.  In a backhanded fashion, she is trying to show that she displayed diversity in her characters even though she wasn't overt about it - did anyone even suspect except for the character's tendency to dress well being pointed out?  And like Mikaela said, why did his story have to be a tragic one?  Why not a happy one?   

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a Harry Potter fan (never read the books, never saw any of the films), but when I heard this bit of news, I thought, "What's the point?" 

As for his story being a tragic one, well, if we want to, we can even view Brokeback as falling into the traditional (stereotypical?) vein that gay men wind up either dead (Jack) or alone and miserable (Ennis). 

This shows that she's been reading some of the Harry Potter fanfic out there.

I was told by an acquaintance who writes Harry Potter fanfic that not only does she read it, she sometimes communicates with the authors (and not with a cease-and-desist order, either)--but I couldn't swear to that in a court of law.

[dot-matrix]

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a Harry Potter fan (never read the books, never saw any of the films), but when I heard this bit of news, I thought, "What's the point?"  

*snip

I think the point is just one more **snap-in your face jab back at the so called Christian Right who claim her stories are evil and satanic and should be banned from schools etc....

[Meryl]

Sheesh. I wish I could manage to be more positive about it. You're too good for me, Meryl. 

It's natural to be annoyed by an author who drops this kind of bomb after the books are safely wrapped up, and of course, it would be nice if Dumbledore's story were less tragic.  But, when all is said and done, I just like the direction she's goin'. 

[ifyoucantfixit]

        I doubt it will happen, but she could actually write a book about Dumbledor and Grindlewal and the
battle they had.  It was a tragedy, not because he was gay, but because he ended up killing the man
he loved, on moral grounds...IMO