In case you were wondering . . .

[Dee]

JK Rowling says wizard Dumbledore is Gay

Sat Oct 20, 2:08 AM

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 (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.

(source (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/071020/entertainment/entertainment_rowling_col))

[hoops]

i read that, it makes perfect sense. he was always giving Snape far to much credit than due.
peace
hoops

[Dee]

J.K. Rowling says she knew 'early on' that wizard Dumbledore was gay (http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/071023/entertainment/books_rowling_dumbledore)

Tue Oct 23, 1:08 PM

TORONTO (CP) - J.K. Rowling says her out-of-the-blue revelation about the sexual orientation of Albus Dumbledore, one of the key characters in her blockbuster "Harry Potter" series, has prompted at least one fan to come out of the closet.

"I know that it was a positive thing that I said it, for at least one person, because one man 'came out' at Carnegie Hall," Rowling told a news conference Tuesday at the International Festival of Authors. "I'm not kidding."

Rowling revealed Dumbledore's sexuality late last week while taking questions from fans at the legendary New York venue. On Tuesday, the author said she knew "very early on" in the writing process that Dumbledore was gay - "probably before the first book was published" - but didn't feel the need to spell it out for readers.

The Dumbledore bombshell has stunned Potter fans around the world and left many wondering why Rowling waited until the conclusion of her seven-book series to reveal the sexuality of the Hogwarts headmaster.

Asked about the timing of her revelation, Rowling said: "I was asked a very direct question at Carnegie Hall."

The U.K.-based author, stylishly turned out in a brown dress and matching boots, grew impatient with reporters who pressed her on the issue, saying she didn't feel the need to be explicit about Dumbledore's sexual preferences because she wanted to focus on character and plot development.

Dumbledore, Rowling has now revealed, was once in love with the dark wizard Grindelwald, something that some canny Potter fans had long suspected.

"The plot is what it is," said Rowling. "(Dumbledore) did have, as I say, this rather tragic infatuation, but that was a key part of the ending of the story so there it is. Why would I put the key part of my ending of my story in Book 1?"

Rowling said Tuesday she found it "freeing" to out Dumbledore because she often "felt like a salmon swimming upstream" while writing the books.

"There were so many theories and people wanted so much information in advance of the stories that I, just to keep my sanity and keey my eye on my own plot, did not give masses away ahead of time because I needed to remain focused," she said, adding that the passages about him will mean different things to different readers.

"I think a child will see a friendship and I think a sensitive adult may well understand that it was an infatuation," she said.

After the news conference, Rowling read from "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" in front of hundreds of young fans at a downtown theatre.

Matthew Shoalts, 15, of Brampton, Ont., emerged from the reading with tears in his eyes and a trembling lip after getting a hug from Rowling during the book signing.

"Everything I ever wanted and more happened today," said the high school student. "J.K. Rowling hugged me!"

During the reading, Rowling was asked a number of questions about the books, but Dumbledore's sexuality didn't come up.

Instead she was asked whose death was the most difficult to write - Dobby the elf, came the reply - and about the complicated rules of the game of Quidditch.

Rowling joked that only a woman could have invented the game because it requires so much multi-tasking, prompting laughs from the assembled crowd, which included young children, teens and publishing industry movers and shakers.

She also joked that she came up with Quidditch after having a bitter argument with an ex-boyfriend, leading her to make the game quite violent.

When a fan getting her book signed asked Rowling how she felt about the reaction to the Dumbledore news, the author said she was pleased because the reaction has been mostly positive.

When Rowling was asked what she'd be doing today if she wasn't famous, she replied that she'd still be teaching and writing in her spare time because she loves writing so much.

"It was really interesting - and she was really funny," said 17-year-old Danielle McNally.

"She read this part where she was reading voices and being Hermione and Ron and she got really into it. She read their voices really well, and she had a great sense of humour. I didn't expect that."

[DaveM]

Can't wait to hear what the fundies have to say about this, since they're already down on Harry Potter because it involves magic and "sorcery".

Mind, I've never read any of the books, so I have no idea what effect sexual preference might have on the character.

Nice to learn that the series is more inclusive than we all thought, though.

[Dee]

I commend J.K. Rowling for revealing this (even if it’s only about a fictional character). The following should tell you why.

In 1989, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued its "Report on the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide," which found that "A majority of suicide attempts by homosexuals occur during their youth, and gay youth are 2 to 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people. They may comprise up to 30 percent of (the estimated 5,000) completed youth suicides annually. The report recommended that "mental health and youth service agencies can provide acceptance and support for young homosexuals, train their personnel on gay issues, and provide appropriate gay adult role models; schools can protect gay youth from abuse from their peers and provide accurate information about homosexuality in health curricula; families should accept their child and work toward educating themselves about the development and nature of homosexuality"

According to Kevin Berrill, Director of the Anti-Violence Project of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force at the time of the reports release stated, "The increased risk of suicide facing these youth is linked to growing up in a society that teaches them to hide and to hate themselves. We welcome this report and hope it will lead to action that will save lives."

from: http://www.outproud.org/article_suicide.html

[Oak Kitten]

Dee,

I read the story in the online version of the New York Times. In the blog posts immediately below the story, one woman wrote that she did not believe J.K. Rowling, there was no way Dumbledore could be gay! Someone else responded, "It's her (Rowling's) world, if you want your own world, write your own book."

Incredible. It is pretty pathetic to be threatened by the sexuality of a fictional character. But I thoroughly agree with your point, that Rowling's revelation could mean a great deal to a lot of young people out there struggling for acceptance. Anything that helps them (and as an added bonus puts skid marks in the undies of the fundies) is OK by me!

Oak

Oak

[DaveM]

Love it. Probably the same people who got into a self-righteous uproar when "Murphy Brown" was pregnant. As I recall, even other television shows started commenting on how ridiculous the bluenoses were. "But she's not real...."

Quite agree with the person you mention. Oak: "If you want your own world, write your own book". Authors should have cards made with some version of that printed on them and send them as replies to armchair critics.

[Dee]

In the blog posts immediately below the story, one woman wrote that she did not believe J.K. Rowling, there was no way Dumbledore could be gay!

You're joking, right?

[Oak Kitten]

You're joking, right?

As wont as I am to kid around, I am totally serious. It does not surprise me in the least. One of the truly frightening things I have learned as I grow older is that people are bound and determined to believe what they want to believe - regardless of any evidence to the contrary. In fact, the more facts you confront them with, the deeper they dig in.

Oak

[Dee]

If she has this much of a problem accepting a story book character’s orientation, I can only imagine what a nightmare she must be in the real world.

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k267/deemark/Photo%20Shoebox%20VI/whatadorkus.jpg