Dumbledore is gay says Rowling at Carniegie Hall to applause from the audience.

[Kerrytravelers]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071021/ap_en_ot/books_potter_dumbledore

The British author stunned her fans at Carnegie Hall on Friday night when she answered one young reader's question about Dumbledore by saying that he was gay and had been in love with Grindelwald, whom he had defeated years ago in a bitter fight.

<snip>

The news brought gasps, then applause at Carnegie Hall, the last stop on Rowling's brief U.S. tour, and set off thousands of e-mails on Potter fan Web sites around the world. Some were dismayed, others indifferent, but most were supportive.

<snip>

"Jo Rowling calling any Harry Potter character gay would make wonderful strides in tolerance toward homosexuality," Melissa Anelli, webmaster of the fan site http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org, told The Associated Press. "By dubbing someone so respected, so talented and so kind, as someone who just happens to be also homosexual, she's reinforcing the idea that a person's gayness is not something of which they should be ashamed."

"'DUMBLEDORE IS GAY' is quite a headline to stumble upon on a Friday evening, and it's certainly not what I expected," added Potter fan Patrick Ross, of Rutherford, N.J. "(But) a gay character in the most popular series in the world is a big step for Jo Rowling and for gay rights."




More at link above.


ETA: Good for Rowling. I'm glad to see she revealed this information. I already loved the books and films, and this is a nice added bonus! :applause:

[hisownpetard]

1. I love JKRowling and the fact that the information about Dumbledore's being gay

just came out incidentally, while she was in the process of , answering a question. How cool is that?

That's exactly as it should be - just an incidental bit of information.

[Bonobo]

3. Or maybe she was just not brave enough to address it in the books...

Like that racist house-elf crap.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. Or maybe she didn't think it belonged in the book.

You know, some authors develop backgrounds for their characters, some of which doesn't actually end up in the book.

[riderinthestorm]

6. She makes it pretty clear in Book #7

My kids and I discussed it as a possiblility after reading that book. It's pretty obvious Albus had some kind of intense emotional relationship during his 16th/17th year - something that changed his life! - and then his sexuality isn't mentioned again. We guessed he was gay right away but book #7 pretty much confirmed it for us. (I will confess that we have someone we know who is gay, who is sooo close to the archetype as outlined by Rowling, that is what set off our discussion). Albus Dumbledore's character is only enhanced by this knowledge, for us.

I will also say that we have also talked about Professor McGonnagal taking in Prof. Trelawney after her abrupt dismissal. What is up with that? Serious loathing and yet! she takes her in....

Ah, Potterologists just fuster and fret about the silliest details....

[Lint Head]

2. I just want to know if Dumbledore is a Democrat.

:dem:

[mrcheerful]

5. Of course he is, after all its the Slitherens that are conservatives and believe

pure bloods should be the only ones allowed to pratice and train at being wizards.