Calling all Harry Potter fans!

Rowling says Dumbledore was gay

 

I love it that a kid asked her about Dumbledore and JKR spilled the beans. It makes Harry Potter interesting for a little longer than expected. And since she'll never write another Harry Potter book, why should she care what people think now? There are those who love her regardless, those who hate her regardless. There will be a handful of paranoind parents who will toss Harry Potter on the bonfire, which will only make the books more interesting to their kids. In a way, it's brilliant and in a way, it pushes the envelope of sensibilities. A gay hero in a children's book... Jack and the Beanstalk would be so proud.

 

It makes so much sense in the flow of the stories as well.

 

I don't have a problem with a gay character, but I dislike this move because it broke the tone of the books. The stories are told from a children's point of view, in a world where adults and teachers don't really have private lives, nor are we every privy to their inner thoughts. Dropping a bombshell like this after the fact - when there really was no "is he or isn't he" dilemma brought up in the stories - is pointless and breaks from the overall tone.

 

I'm an enormous fan of the Harry Potter series, but what kind of sick shit is this????

 

Sure, he's gay now, even though it was ambiguous and could have gone either way while she was still writing the books.

 

There's a long history of that kind of thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash_fiction

 

Other than Hagrid, did any of the potter professors have flames (pun intended). Only Snape comes to mind, and his was one-sided stalking.

 

Seems kind of odd to announce it after the fact. If she really wanted to make a statement about tolerance, why not put it in the book?

 

Agreed. Lame publicity stunt to keep the books in the news.

 

I'm not a big fan of her penchant for adding stuff after the fact. I'm totally fine with Dumby being gay. Her handling of it seems clumsy and maybe a little cliche' but I'm cool with the idea. But I much prefer the artists who say "the work speaks for itself."

 

Lupin, but that was after he quit teaching.