Books News
Dumbledore is gay…now what?
By M&C News Oct 22, 2007, 12:46 GMT
In a recent AP article, people are saying that now that Rowling has revealed Dumbledore to be gay, that her passages within the Harry Potter text takes on new meaning.
Many are also saying this is a step towards gay rights. Others don’t seem to think it matters at all.
"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,” said Melissa Anelli, the Webmaster of the fan site http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org. She told this to the AP.
Whether this will change anything in the long run, culture will just have to find out. Others, who don’t seem to care, just love the character regardless of what person that character would ever choose to be with. But readers were well aware of Dumbledore’s “troubled past.”
Yet in the end, Harry Potter isn’t that type of romance. Click here to read the AP article.
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Many Christians are supposed to love thy neighbor, gay or not, so are u sure you aren't christian, or just choosing who to like, which is against Jesus' teachings. I think it shows that there are people that are gay but don;t make there whole life about it. It shows a non-stereotypical view of who some gay people are.
Call me cynical. Call me jaded. I was already pretty convinced that Albus was gay when the few details of his relationship with Grindelwald were given by Rowling in the seventh book. I won't lie and say that it does impinge on my particular narrow-mindedness, but this is something for which I can hardly fault Rowling. If the subject brings up a tinge of discomfort for me, though, I wonder what it does for the millions of younger readers, who are, despite popular culture and the attempts to create a new global ethos, generally the mirrors of their parents' values. Is it a point of confusion, betrayal or simply the attempted opening of discussion about so-called 'gay rights'? Only time will answer that question, but in a children's book, the necessity of sexuallizing a character whose preferences heretofor expressed little more than a lingering disappointment in Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Jelly seems a little unnecessary. Sex and children. It's a difficult combination of phenomenon, no matter how you cut it.
I just find it funny that it comes out 3 months after the final book. As far as there being hints in the past about dombledores sexuality there were not. A trouble past does not mean gay, nor does him having a friend that he was very fond of. If that's the case everyone is a homosexual. I think that if this was brought up in lets say book 2-5 there probably would not have been a 7th. So as far as J.K. Rowlings taking steps for gay rights, i think by this coming up at a point when we know no more Harry Potter books with be writing is J.K. Rowlings looking out for J.K. Rowlings.
I'm a christian, and i do not believe that we (people) have the right to judge others (including gays). I do not know why J.K. Rowlings made it known to the public of Dumbledore's sexual orientation, but i do know that regardless of him being gay or anyone else for that matter, does not make them a bad person. In the book, Dumbledore is known as being loving and caring. He is a good person in the book. Just because someone is gay does not mean they are bad and should be shamed. Nobody is perfect. Here is a thought for stuck up christians who live in this world that does not exist, maybe instead of pushing people away, we should love them inspite of our views on their lifestyle. I do not necessarily agree with homosexuality lifestyle, but I will not push gays away, I or nobody else for that matter can or should judge. Harry Potter was a good book and knowing that Dumbledore is gay, does not change my opinion on his character. J.K. Rowling excepts that everybody is unique and that good can be found where people least expect it. I believe she is a christian, she doesn't stereotype.
Putting 'gay thoughts' in children's heads? (first poster)You're a very disturbed, and hateful person. Please get help.
I am a Christian and I do have the right to judge, it's called Leviticus...read it!
I for one am glad that JK Rowling did not include her views of Dumbledore being gay in the books. These books are mostly geared toward children and young adults. This is not something that should be discussed in children’s books. Parents have the right and responsibility to teach their children their beliefs of what is right and what is wrong. As she did not put it in the books, I feel that the reader has the freedom to view Dumbledore as they please. I still view Dumbledore as being “straight”. So if JK Rowling's announcement that she views Dumbledore as being gay upset you, remember, he is a fictional character, not real. And because she did not put it in the books, you have the freedom to view him as you please.
Thank you Tammy. You just put the hatemongers in their place. Good for you.
p.s. Leviticus and the book it's in can be found in the FICTION section of the library.
I cannot believe that J.K. Rowling would make Dumbledore a homosexual. I believe that she has now dampened the spirit of the magical tale of Harry Potter. I think that to put something so controversial in what started out as a children's book is madness. It sends the message to children that being gay is okay...when in fact it is not. I have lost much respect for the author and for the book itself. Sadly, I feel like a small part of me died inside when I heard of this abomination. Something I have loved for a very long time is now ruined.
The fact that Dumbledore is gay should not sway the opinion readers have of him or Rowling, especially since his sexuality is entirely ambiguous until the passage where he discusses Grindelwald. Even after reading all seven books, many still did not question his 'straightness' until Rowling outed him. The accusation that Dumbledore will warp the minds of children with 'gay thoughts' is absurd. Homosexuality is not a contractable disorder that manifests itself in anyone who gets to close to or thinks about someone gay. If it was as simple as that, wouldn't all homosexuals choose to read up on heterosexual relationships and become straight? After all, thanks to pomous, holier-than-thou, neo conservatives like 'Well, she's NOT a Christian then' above (gag me), being a homosexual can be a real drag.
What does it matter whether he's homosexual or not? many believe that it defines who a person is. In fact, there is a scale that scientists have developed that fits you into a 'gender category'- not everyone is totally female or totally male. there are variations, and i'm not talking about hermaphrodites. a man can be completely male, and heterosexual, but have slight female tendencies. same is true for a female. so, it doesn't really matter whether he's straight or gay, he's still the same dumbledore he was since the beginning.
grow up, if this affects whether or not you love a book then you are seriously SAD. get a life. harry potter books are some of the best of our time, and what the hell does it matter if one of it's characters are gay? the characters in the series are like people in real life, they have sexual desire, even if it is played down in the book. you know what happens and you know they get it on, cos they all have kids and they all came from somewhere. so get OVER yourself if u can honestly say this bothers u. climb out of your little hole where the world is perfect and deal with it. and for your information, i was brought up a catholic, but it doesnt stop me having liberal thoughts and an open mind, so maybe you should all do the same.
ookkaayy.. so all the people who are hardcore christians out there are getting waay too into this. i have no problem with you backing up your opinions with your religious beliefs, but you have to give some other personal opinion other than 'its in the bible' or 'leviticus told me i can judge' like, honestly what are you talking about ? i believe in god and jesus, im straight, but i also have no problem with homosexuality.
i, in fact, actually like the idea of dumbledore being gay AND i like the fact that it wasnt a straightforward fact in the harry potter books. it gives room for people to make up their own minds and view his character as they please.
so if you have something negative to say about JK rowling, dumbledore, or homosexuality in general, then you might as well start you're own blog because you're far too narrowminded for anyone here to care.
thanks :)
TO ALL THE OTHER CHRISTIANS OUT THERE JESUS CHRIST SAID TO NOT JUDGE CAUSE YOU WILL GO TO HELL FASTER THAN EVEN BEING GAY...I LOVE THE FACT THAT HE IS GAY IT MAKES ME FELL VERY HAPPY :D I'LL LOVE HIM EVEN MORE but i just seen some comments that other people made bout j.k. rowling,dumbledore also i am christian and gay soooo. ha ha lol
i think it is funny how a lot of the gay poeple are saying, 'you christians are all steryotypical maniacs who judge poeople...' hmmmmm....anyways, i am a very, very devout Christian and a huge Harry Potter fan. The fact that Dumbledore was gay disturbed me because he always came across to me as a sort of monk like figure who wouldnt be interested in a relationship, regardless gay/straight. and for all of you bashing jk rowling saying that she didnt want to hurt her own book sales, do your research...she first wrote a chapter including a relationship with dumblidore and another man in HBP, but both american and english editors opted to change it to a woman. jk then just crossed it out from the book because her character was gay and she didnt want to change that. She then tried to put it in DH, but when it was again Xed by the editors. JK rowling wanted to have it in the books, it just was the deitors looking out for the sales...
Aaron, you are sooo sad.
I cannot believe that J.K. Rowling would make Dumbledore a homosexual. I believe that she has now dampened the spirit of the magical tale of Harry Potter. I think that to put something so controversial in what started out as a children's book is madness. It sends the message to children that being gay is okay...when in fact it is not. I have lost much respect for the author and for the book itself. Sadly, I feel like a small part of me died inside when I heard of this abomination. Something I have loved for a very long time is now ruined.
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Why should you care if he is gay or not? If the man is happy, then leave him alone. Many of my friends are gay, it doesn't bother me at all. I do not believe in Jesus or anything, but being gay isn't wrong at all. It just bugs me to no end when people hate on homosexual people. Please, from the bottom of my heart, GO GET SOME HELP. Thank you and have a nice day.
Why is this such a huge controversy? I don't see how this should change anyone's opinion of the series or cause anyone to insinuate that parents are doing less of a job in raising their kids by allowing their children to read these books. Even if you are homophobic, you need to be enlightened to the fact that there ARE gay people in this world. There are real homosexual people out there, so how come you cannot make a character gay just as you would make another character near-sighted? Bottom line: people are different. Guess what? We all still live on one planet, so you'd better learn to cope with it.
'I cannot believe that J.K. Rowling would make Dumbledore a homosexual.'
It's not like she just up and decided that he suddenly was gay. It's part of an intricate, well thought out story.
'I believe that she has now dampened the spirit of the magical tale of Harry Potter.'
Because the most talented, intellegent figure in the story is now revealed to have been homosexual? You make me sick.
'I think that to put something so controversial in what started out as a children's book is madness.'
It's only controversial to narrow-minded people like yourself.
'It sends the message to children that being gay is okay...when in fact it is not.'
Thanks for clearing that up; I'm glad you know this as a 'fact.'
'I have lost much respect for the author and for the book itself.'
Then don't read them. I don't really think you deserve to enjoy them.
'Sadly, I feel like a small part of me died inside when I heard of this abomination.'
Good. Maybe the rest of you will die too.
How dare you judge somebody when you yourself are Christian. Christ didn't judge, how dare you. May God be YOUR judge and not admit you into Heaven because of your disgusting character.
I say that JK Rowling was right to make Dumbledore gay. It's good to portray homosexuals, not as villains, but as people just like everyone else. Intolerance for people is insane, why spend your life hating others? What is that going to prove? How will hate or fear ever help you to succeed or learn? Do you honestly think that God would approve of your hate? Everyone on this Earth has an equal right to live their lives in a way that makes them happy, as long as their not hurting anyone. Just because JK Rowling created a gay character does not mean that she isn;t a Christian. People are ridiculous, JK is right. People out there are insane and pitiable.
How would you feel if someone harrased you for loving someone else when there is so much more in this chatoic world to worry about; such as bigotry, and actual violence, and famine, and drought?
Why did she have to go and ruin a perfectly good character? Whether or not i am against it, thinking about it makes me uncomfortable. now every time i hear the name dumblore, i am going to think of this. i was going o read harry potter to the kid i baby-sit. now i won't be able to because every time i say dumbledore, i'll gag.
Just because JK put a gay in her series, dosen't mean she's not Christian. And it shouldn't matter to anyone if she is or isin't. Now everyone has been reading the books, and watching the movies, and you all love them, and you can't just stop liking a book because it dosen't go how you want. JK proved that point when she ended her series, she ended it in ways some people didn't like, and others did. The point of books is to enter a new and diffrent world, with interesting characters and plot twists.
I agree with Tammy.. Dumbledore will always be straight to me
all u non-christians i understand that you dont no what the bible says about gay so that why u run your month
christians Jesus did say not to judge...we are to love our neighbours as ourselves
lastly..u all no dat dumbledore aint real..rigth? why so wind up about it? wen u read u have every right to make ur character watever u want it to be.. the book doesnt say he is gay and neither will d movie..so it is going to be a lot easier to forget wat rowlings said and continue to view him as straight..
i hope i solved ur problem..now go do something with ur lyfe and im goin to do somethin wit mine
I'm more concerned about what Dumbledore's brother did with the goat!!!!
chris i really hope u are joking just to have some angry reactions. but if your not AVADA KADAVRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
those who hate the book beacasue dumbledore is gay are not worthy to read it. period.
the book is about tolerance. and for ppl to go against becasue of a gay character you should be locked up in azakaban and given the dementors kiss. you freakin death eater. go elope with bellatrix and murder your cousin.
......and what did Harry and Hermione get up to, left alone together all that time in the tent when Ron left?... who cares - it is a very good STORY. You religious nuts need to get a life.
Hey Watever - if you are going to do something with your life may I suggest you start by going back to school.
Folks – it’s all part of the gay agenda. It’s now in all sides of main stream media. In all the TV shows we watch, movies, new papers, magazines etc etc. Now that a book has sold millions of copies, its time to say something like this. Do any of you really think the majority of the readers, our kids, really thought anything of this character in this manner? No. If you are like me and teach your children that gay is not correct or normal, this was an extremely imaginative method to tell your kids the opposite. Nice work.
to Aaron Juarez
what do you mean ruins the magic of harry potter if gays wouldn't magic I don't know who would be
Does anyone else see it as odd that not a hint of his sexual preference was made until a decade after the first book became a success? The timing seems odd and I see that not as a stance for gay rights but instead a personal political ploy by Rowling to get a bigger fan base and a more adult following. I have nothing against homosexual people I just think that if she wanted to make a stance about sexual preference she would have mentioned it during at least one of her hundreds of press conferences and Q&A sessions. I think she made the decision post humorously of the serious as an afterthought instead of a premeditated commentary on society.
UMMM duh shes doing it to raise controversy over the book and sell more copies and hype the movies, Its kind of like 'Hot Coffee' in Grand Theft Auto
I'm sick of people getting mad and ranting at the fact that Dumbledore is gay and saying that theyve 'lost something' at this revelation. Homosexuality is real, about 10% of the population(in theory) is gay, and dumbledore is all about caring for others and treating everyone as equals, so it seems fitting that he should have something about him that is not the norm to society's standards. Why is dumbledore being gay a bad thing? children are gonna meet gay people, that's just a fact. who cares if a man prefers another man over a woman? what does it matter to you if you're straight and somebody else isnt? whether its by choice or by biology, why does it matter to somebody if another is gay or not? if you like women, great, if you like men, great. J.K. Rowling put something real into the 'Harry Potter Universe'. I cant understand how people can think this as 'taking away from the book', Dumbledore is still the same person before and after Rowling came out with this. Besides, the book belongs to the reader now, not Rowling, and therefore, the reader can decide who the characters are beyond the direction of the text. if you dont see dumbledore as gay when you read the book, then he isnt gay. rowling never put that in the book, so if you realy dont want or see him as gay, then don't let Rowling, now an outside source, mess with your thoughts of who these characters are, it is solely the books and the mind of the reader that should be shaping the world now.
Read the other comments and similar articles on this site. Fictional people don't matter and are irrelevant they are only made up non existant fake persons who don't really have a sexual orientation.
Why would JK Rowling mention it in the book? In what way would that move the story? It was not important to the story. If anything the fact that Dumbledore is gay and that his orientation was not a central part to his character is an important thing. It is showing that a person who is gay can be important to society, a good person, a leader and just happen to be gay.
Why on earth would she need to create a ploy to sell more books? They do a pretty good job at selling without her doing much more than write the darn things! Fanatic Harry Potter fans, the fans who read the blogs, write the blogs and read the books over a hundred times want to know every detail about every character. Someone asked if Dumbledore had ever been in love. She had to be honest to the character, and said that he had been in love before, with a man.
I’m surprised that the fact that Dumbledore is gay is more of a controversy then the body count of the books. It is okay for there to be murder in a book, and for children to read about it. But once a character is gay the story has become too polluted for children. What an interesting comment on American society.
Lucy it's fiction.
Everyone knows, including her editors, that the topic of a person's sexual orientation is extremely heated and brings up much the same emotions of hate on both sides. The casual Christians or political Christians, often referred to as the Christian Right that only take certain parts of the Bible and use them against people, 'hate' all people who are LBGT and the fact that one of the characters was gay. And the liberal left and the homosexual advocacy groups 'hate' all Christians and love the fact that Dumbledore was gay.
As a side note, the Bible says in Matthew 7:1 'Judge not, that you be not judged.' Also, Jesus said in John 8:7 'If any of you have never sinned, then go ahead and throw the first stone.' It also clearly says that we are all sinners, so there shouldn't be anyone who claims to be a follower of God's teachings that is hating anyone or judging them. It is God's job to judge all man and we would all be best by letting Him do it.
But, the very fact that this topic brings about such controversy is why it should not have been in the story. Now every time the books are discussed in the media or amongst friends, it is not the story being discussed, but the controversy. It already is being used by both extreme sides as either a wonderful platform or a deplorable teaching to young people. And the fact that these are considered in the publics mind to be 'children's books' does matter. If Steven King wrote a best seller that sold tens of millions of copies and the main character was gay, it would bristle some people's sensibilities, but would not have near the uproar as Harry Potter. JK said herself that if she had known that they (the fans) would have been so happy about it, she would have said so sooner. First off, she was at a liberal school, so of course the response would be favorable. But this also demonstrates that she knew the controversy that this would cause and was wary of it overshadowing the books and the story, of which it now has. It is just a bell that cannot be unrung. I for one, wish she had let this sleeping dog lie.
Hear Hear !!!
everyone should have known he was gay when the sound of his broom going by is aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHMMMmmgay
you the person who wrote about her not being cristian. you are wrong sexuality has nothing to do with her being or not being cristian, there is nothing wrong with being gay you say she is not cristian because she supports homosexuality I say you are homophobic and need to be educated. people like you make me sick. oh and by the way I am a minor and reading about homosexuality does not make me gay.us
cristianity sucks, a bunch of hatefull closet cases. yeah you I know you are reading this you suck.
god bless you.
yeah right
How about you bob? Did well in school huh? I bet you were molested by a wizard in a purple cloak when you were a boy. When you grew to adulthood you realized that wizard was really a priest from the local R.C.C.
now you hate them because it affected your sexuality.
I'm a minor too, and I'm laughing my ass off at Dumbledore being gay, plus now i have a legit reason to antagonize Harry Potter Nerds at my school
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Well, she's NOT a Christian then.Oct 22nd, 2007 - 14:28:14
And that's that. If she's supporting this kind of character, then, nope, she's not a Christian at all. Instead, she's putting this kind of thought (gay thoughts) in the heads of countless children. I can't believe she did this.
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