Rowling outs Dumbledore

[ALIASd]

J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character

By HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer
Sat Oct 20, 7:41 AM ET

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."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071020/...s_harry_potter

[knittingknerd]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

Why doesn't that surprise me?

[Olympicnut]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

:clap:

[Grumpy4]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

I heard that last night from PixieChick. She was at Carnegie to meet her last night (soo jealous) and she texted that to me.

[stinkerbell]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

Heehee, thanks to PixieChick, I felt so in the know!! :love: Can't wait for her to get home and write up a report!

[krystledm]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

i just ask "did we need to know?" not really....i mean the series is over, and if she didn't feel it importiant enough for the books, why tell us now? you know.

[Alice's Wonderland]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

So why wasn't that included in the books?

[MissChristine]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

I loved that little bit of information. (mucho :love: to PC!) I think it's cool that she said that. Just because it wasn't in the books, doesn't mean it wasn't important. She could have given a very normal answer. But this...much better.

[Tui]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

That actually makes sense especially with the last book.

But now I have a lot of questions.

[Nancywitt]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

i just ask "did we need to know?" not really....i mean the series is over, and if she didn't feel it importiant enough for the books, why tell us now? you know.

She is currently putting together a book of information about the characters that she was not able to include in the novels for fear they would get way too long. So I'm sure this will be in the background of Dumbledore.

[SusieP.]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

That's awesome and speaks volumes about why Dumbledore got so wrapped up in the power of the Hallows. It wasn't for power after all, it was for love, and as we all know people do wacky things when they are in love.

I wonder if this will change the minds of people who couldn't understand this moment of weakness he went through. Personally I think he's a much more sympathetic character in this light. :love:

[MTNGIRL]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

^^^ SusieP, I'm in total agreement.

:love: to pixiechick for telling us the big news while knowing we were waiting on pins and needles to hear how much fun she had at the event.

[Max Fischer]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

i just ask "did we need to know?" not really....i mean the series is over, and if she didn't feel it importiant enough for the books, why tell us now? you know.

Someone asked, she answered.

[E.P. Ripley]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

Wow, big thumbs down to J.K. Rowling. :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown I guess she felt that she had to do something to keep yourself in the spotlight now that the books have all been published. The books give no indication that Dumbledore was gay. If she felt it was pivotal to the story she should have mentioned it. Who cares about sales. If this was really the character of Dumbledore and it is pivotal it should have been mentioned. In fact, at this late date it does nothing to explain anything in the story. It only confuses the plot and makes everything more confusing. For instance, before one assumed that Dumbledore's love for Harry was pure, like the love a father has for a son. Now it seems a little creepy that Dumbledore spends so much time in a private office with Harry.

The reason that it seems so creepy to spend so much time with Harry is that Dumbledore appears to be trying to replace his old love with Harry. Think about it, the other wizard that Dumbledore loved was a very powerful wizard. Harry, though still young will be a man soon and is also a powerful wizard. In his own mind Dumbledore sees his lover every time he is looking at Harry. This rather disturbing problem only develops when you make Dumbledore gay. You make him straight, how he actually is in the book imo, and this problem vanishes. You get a genuinely concerned parental figure and not someone who loves Harry because he sees in him his own lover.

[knittingknerd]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

I think you're putting the those vibes into it. I mean there are lots of gay male teachers and they aren't "creepy" into their students.

I think Dumbledore... I kinda' thought of him as a unix in a way. Like he didn't want to get caught up in the daily love drama and focus on magic. But I mean after the 7th book... it makes sense. We never heard about his love life in that book. And there wasn't a controversy... Does that mean the wizarding world is more open minded? I kinda' thought the middle Weasly brother, Percy, was gay too.

[Goin2DL]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

Wow, big thumbs down to J.K. Rowling. :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown I guess she felt that she had to do something to keep yourself in the spotlight now that the books have all been published. The books give no indication that Dumbledore was gay. If she felt it was pivotal to the story she should have mentioned it. Who cares about sales. If this was really the character of Dumbledore and it is pivotal it should have been mentioned. In fact, at this late date it does nothing to explain anything in the story. It only confuses the plot and makes everything more confusing. For instance, before one assumed that Dumbledore's love for Harry was pure, like the love a father has for a son. Now it seems a little creepy that Dumbledore spends so much time in a private office with Harry.

The reason that it seems so creepy to spend so much time with Harry is that Dumbledore appears to be trying to replace his old love with Harry. Think about it, the other wizard that Dumbledore loved was a very powerful wizard. Harry, though still young will be a man soon and is also a powerful wizard. In his own mind Dumbledore sees his lover every time he is looking at Harry. This rather disturbing problem only develops when you make Dumbledore gay. You make him straight, how he actually is in the book imo, and this problem vanishes. You get a genuinely concerned parental figure and not someone who loves Harry because he sees in him his own lover.

She said that he was gay not a pedofile! To say that a gay man can't be a loving father figure to a boy is just ignorant. It has nothing to do with he and Harry's relationship whatsoever.

[Max Fischer]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

The reason that it seems so creepy to spend so much time with Harry is that Dumbledore appears to be trying to replace his old love with Harry. Think about it, the other wizard that Dumbledore loved was a very powerful wizard. Harry, though still young will be a man soon and is also a powerful wizard. In his own mind Dumbledore sees his lover every time he is looking at Harry. This rather disturbing problem only develops when you make Dumbledore gay. You make him straight, how he actually is in the book imo, and this problem vanishes. You get a genuinely concerned parental figure and not someone who loves Harry because he sees in him his own lover.

Read into things much?


You are projecting all your views into this.

The fact is, she is the author, and whatever she says, is how it is. She didn't bring up the subject, as you can see in the article, she was asked a question, and she answered it. Much of Harry Potter books are about diversity, and how we are stronger because of our diversity, and the different things we all bring to the table.

Also, gay men don't prey on children. Sick men do, AKA pedophiles.

It is hard for me to pick your strangest quote, but this one sticks out:

"In his own mind Dumbledore sees his lover every time he is looking at Harry."

You don't find this statement odd at all? How in the world you could produce that kind of thought, is beyond me. I can't help but wonder what is in your head. I do appreciate your opinion, and justification, but I encourage you to look up the theory of projection, it may prove enlightening.

[SusieP.]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

She said that he was gay not a pedofile! To say that a gay man can't be a loving father figure to a boy is just ignorant. It has nothing to do with he and Harry's relationship whatsoever.

:bow: Thank you!

[tiggerfan]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

Gee I was going to post the quasi-homophobic response as a tounge in cheek joke but someone beat me to it..

[E.P. Ripley]

Re: Rowling outs Dumbledore

Max Fischer
I think this quote of yours best illustrates the problem that I have with the fact that Rowling just decided to announce that Dumbledore was gay. You said

"The fact is, she is the author, and whatever she says, is how it is. She didn't bring up the subject, as you can see in the article, she was asked a question, and she answered it. Much of Harry Potter books are about diversity, and how we are stronger because of our diversity, and the different things we all bring to the table."

I agree with your statement about the author. You cannot change the authors original intent. However, there is another thing that makes me wonder if Rowling really intended to make Dumbledore gay. You say that the Harry Potter books are about diversity and I agree with you. However, because the books are all about diversity don't you think that they would have benefited from letting us know that Dumbledore was gay in the books? It seems that the only reason to obmit this fact was either because Rowlings never saw Dumbledore as being gay or that she was afraid to say he was gay earlier because she was afraid of offending people.

As far as offending people this should not have been a concern for someone who does not seem to care about now announcing that Dumbledore is gay. It seems than that this was not the reason that she omitted this fact from the book. Now I know people will say that some parents would have prevented their children from reading this book if she had announced Dumbledore was gay in it. However, I will say that there will be the same number of parents that ban these books from their house as before. So this does not seem to be an issue.

The issue that I think Rowling was after was the financial gain from announcing that Dumbledore was gay. The reason there is a lot to gain from this announcement is that the gay movement is larger today than in any other time in recent history and there are strong supporters against this movement. Rowlings stands to have free advertising on a product whose hype was starting to slow down. Think about it. All the papers are going to carry several articles about the controversies that this causes. There are also going to be news stations that want to talk to Rowlings about the controversy that she caused with this announcement. In short, by making this announcement Rowlings comes back from her final curtain call to appear again in the spotlight for a little while longer.

Now I know that someone is going to respond and say Rowling could not have been doing this because of financial gain because the question was randomly asked. Rowling did not volunteer this information. However, I think that it is pure speculation to say this because we do not know what would have happened had no one asked this question. I still maintain that the time was right for Rowling make some sort of big announcement to get herself back into the spotlight by generating controversy.