• The forums' spoiler embargo for all content from Pokémon Legends: Z-A's Mega Dimension DLC has been lifted! Feel free to talk about the new content from the expansion across the forums without the need of spoiler tabs!

    Please note that this lifted embargo only applies for the forums, and may still be in effect on other Bulbagarden sites.

Dumbledore is gay (No, seriously, he is)

Status
Not open for further replies.
Blackjack Gabbiani

Blackjack Gabbiani

Back due to popular demand!
Bulbanews Tipster
Joined
Jan 1, 2003
Messages
16,598
Reaction score
417
Gay Wizards and Acceptance

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071020/en_nm/rowling_dc_1;_ylt=Aq2_RFVeI5k4KIoH8ljuEeME1vAI

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.
Click to expand...


So, how do you think fandom--not just Harry Potter, but fandom in general--will react to this? Will this lead to further acceptance of gays in kids material? Will future authors be able to have such a thing be said in their books rather than waiting until later to announce it? How will this affect sales, not only of this but of any potential genre books?
 
Weird and unnecessary to have this news especially after the series is over. I guess she's releasing the encyclopedia of information on the books somewhere down the line, though.

Something strikes me as really weird about this though - a fictional character, who isn't going to be in any more books is gay. Also to note that it probably wouldn't have effected the plot in any way.

To make a big deal about it seems like a gimmick for gay acceptance and such. But, uh, I guess that isn't a bad thing?
 
I'm surprised it wasn't Neville. Really surprised.
 
To make a big deal about it seems like a gimmick for gay acceptance and such. But, uh, I guess that isn't a bad thing?
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly.

It seems alot of people think having a gay character = acceptance when that is so not true. I highly doubt people will go "Oh, well a fictional character was Gay...so I guess they're not too bad!"

I always thought Dumbledore was a pedo though. It made sense.
 
Slash fans rejoyce?

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer 1 hour, 52 minutes ago

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.

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.
Click to expand...

Posted without further comment.
 
Umm... Interesting... I never even suspected it, but in retrospect, it all adds up. But still... HWHAAAT!?
 
^ What now? Gay =/= paedophile. JKR said in the same(?) chat that Dumbledore saw Harry as a son. And Tom Riddle was clearly screwed up long before he even met Dumbledore.

I think this is awesome news. It's great that JKR clearly doesn't see Dumbledore's sexuality as a big deal, or a defining feature of his character. It's just something he is, and that explains a little bit of his backstory. I loved her reaction when everyone cheered - "If I'd known you'd be this happy, I would have told you years ago!"
 
It wasn't a gimmick. JKR only revealed the information because a kid in the audience asked her if Dumbledore ever found love. She threw it out there like it was no big deal, just a kind of, "oh, yeah, that's how I've always seen him". When everyone cheered, she said, "If I'd known you'd be this happy, I'd have told you years ago!"
 
Ah, that's interesting. So much for Dumbledore/McGonagall. XP

I think it's kinda cool that there's a bunch of stuff about all these characters that we don't even know of despite how friggin long the series is. She's going to write up an encyclopedia on the characters, right? Could be neat. ^^
 
Wonder how many cheers were from Yaoi-fanfic writers?
 
Wow.

I remember hearing this on the news this morning, and being all, WTF? But it's pretty awesome.


Heh, the religious nuts are gonna have a field day with this one.
 
This made the news?

Why? It's a fictional dead character.
 
It should've been Blaise. That would've been funny, but not powerful enough to make a news article.

*dismissive wave* It's stupid, I think. There was no flat-out evidence as Dumbledore being gay in the books, so she could call it as she saw it, because no one can prove or disprove it and thus, you can read the book without ever realizing that Harry's mentor had a crush on his rival, ever. 8D Acceptance? It's set up so you can read the books and not give a hogwash about who he prefers sleeping with. They can read the books, as can parents, and never KNOW...until they Wiki it.

And you know the parents are gonna love this one. *eye roll*
 
Last edited:
Rejoying? Not much. 8o Well, not from me anyway. *slash fan*

I honestly think it's a publicity stunt. No, I don't mean she's lying. I mean she knows the fandom. She's had to have seen how half is het-based and half is slash-based, and would know a lot of people would take the news positively. Why wait until /now/, when her series is over and there's nothing left to talk about except if Harry and Draco's kids are gonna be snogging in the closet? And who would ask about Dumbledore and true love anyway? Who doesn't know he's been dead?

Either she was afraid if the news got out, the parents wouldn't let their kids read the final books and lose profit/indirectly deny people their ability to enjoy HP OR...she kept it to herself because people told her to (and now that it's over, she can freely spill the beans). ...Though I'd like to think it's all a conspiracy and she's doing this to get her fans 'loud' again. But I like conspiracies, so that's me. :D

.....The movies are now gonna be a blast, you know (not that they aren't becoming crap these days). Haaa....oh bother.
 
Wait...I've been posting in both of them, but when are you gonna merge the topics?
 
Lee Jordan. Dean Thomas was quite prominent in DH. And I liked Angelina Johnson.
 
Whoo, this'll be fun.

I would LOVE to see religious fanatics' reactions to this. Not only does the books have "devil worship" apparently, there's also a gay character. This. is. awesome. I love when religious groups show more that they have their heads up their asses.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom