JK Rowling reveals Hogwarts secret

[Olgar Shiverstone]

News story

And here I would have guessed Neville, though I don't find JK's response particularly surprising having read book 7.

What is surprising is the level of fan curiosity that would prompt asking the question "Did so-and-so ever find true love?" in the first place. My response as the author would have been something like the SNL skit of William Shatner at the Star Trek convention.

Apparently, I make a poor fanboy.

 

[Umbran]

I don't think Dumbledore's sexuality has anything to do with the story.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I don't think Dumbledore's sexuality has anything to do with the story.

My thoughts exactly, which is why this new item produced such a "WTF?" response from me. But apparently there is some portion of the fan base to whom this matters.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

It's not really relevant to anything. Apparently the director of Movie 6 wanted to mention one of Dumbledore's old flames, but Ms. Rowling stepped in and was like "Nuh uh."

I understand why folks are making a deal out of it, but it really isn't.

 

[Squire James]

I imagine Dumbledore's sexual orientation was not terribly important in the Harry Potter series because he was (apparently) chaste at that stage of his life. Of course, J.K. Rowling declaring that Dumbledore was chaste would draw a LOT less comment than declaring that he is gay. To be fair, associating Dumbledore with openly-gay actor who played Gandalf is pretty natural I guess.

In a way, I'm kinda glad Rowling never went out of her way to mention Dumbledore's orientation in the books... that's definitely in the "don't need to know" category.

 

[megamania]

....and why is this important again....?



This was possibly said just to get fans talking again. Crazy.

 

[Steel_Wind]

....and why is this important again....?

It's important for the obvious reason: it presents children with a gay character in the most popular series in children's literature who is portrayed positively and who is held out as a role model of wisdom and kindness; not as a lecher or an aberration.

Does a kid need to know and hear that a character they read about and liked was gay? Will that help them form more positive and less prejudiced views later in life?

Yes, I think it can only help.

J.K. Rowling does not need the money; she really doesn't care about that anymore. She was making her point as a writer and a humanitarian who has had - and who will have for decades - a great influence over the minds of children the world over.

 

[Relique du Madde]

It all makes sense... the cursed ring was an allusion to the HIV virus and Snape euthanized Dumpledore rather then to see Dumpledore wither away.

 

[WayneLigon]

What is surprising is the level of fan curiosity that would prompt asking the question "Did so-and-so ever find true love?" in the first place.

You have no idea of the depth of fan curiosity. I have astounding amounts of curiosity about those missing however-many years, just for starts.

 

[trancejeremy]

So many jokes, but so many ways to get banned from here. So I better not.