Dumbledore is gay

[couw]

The whole deal smells of "marketing" and that saddens me.

did you read the books?

[Chuck Nessa]

The whole deal smells of "marketing" and that saddens me.

did you read the books?

Only the first. What does that have to do with my statement?

[Uncle Skid]

If the article is accurate, I have to disagree with Chuck, and Big Al as well:

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

Sounds like she was asked a question, and answered it matter-of-factly. Of course, it might be different if she had called a press conference just to make that announcement.

[7/4]

The whole deal smells of "marketing" and that saddens me.

Anything to sell books.

[Chuck Nessa]

If the article is accurate, I have to disagree with Chuck, and Big Al as well:

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

Sounds like she was asked a question, and answered it matter-of-factly. Of course, it might be different if she had called a press conference just to make that announcement.

I heard that story too but am cynical enough to think it could have been a "plant".

[Uncle Skid]

If the article is accurate, I have to disagree with Chuck, and Big Al as well:

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

Sounds like she was asked a question, and answered it matter-of-factly. Of course, it might be different if she had called a press conference just to make that announcement.

I heard that story too but am cynical enough to think it could have been a "plant".

Well, that thought occurred to me as well, so maybe it was calculated to generate "controversy". If it was, it worked.

[Dan Gould]

If the article is accurate, I have to disagree with Chuck, and Big Al as well:

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

Sounds like she was asked a question, and answered it matter-of-factly. Of course, it might be different if she had called a press conference just to make that announcement.

I heard that story too but am cynical enough to think it could have been a "plant".

More importantly, what does being gay have to do with "finding true love"? Is the report incomplete? Was her entire answer "Dumbledore is gay" or did she say "Dumbledore is gay, so just so you know, he's looking for true love with a man"?

It may very well have been a plant simply because, for whatever reason, she wanted to "out" the character. Why she couldn't do it in the books is the real question.

[couw]

The whole deal smells of "marketing" and that saddens me.

did you read the books?

Only the first. What does that have to do with my statement?

that you seem to have but half a clue and that saddens me.

[Noj]

I'm happy the ol' bugger has any sexual inclination left at all!

[sheldonm]

I have read none of the books nor seen any of the movies....I don't really care of the dude is gay or not. Also, this is a fictional character....so he's not really gay.............or is he????

m~

[rostasi]

Wow, and I thought my level of cynicism was high!

Haven't read the books, but I've been dragged to the films

(which I have to admit that I enjoyed),

but my wife, who has read all of the books,

said "Oh! That explains a lot!" when I showed her the

news item. It seems that way to me as well

after I thought about the encounters between this character

and the rival "Gellert" and after some explanation of what

happened in the books.

Edited October 22, 2007 by rostasi

[Jazzmoose]

Dumbledore's love, she observed, was his "great tragedy."

"Oh, my god," Rowling concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction."

Fan fiction is always a great tragedy.

[Jazzmoose]

More importantly, what does being gay have to do with "finding true love"?

Thank you. That was my reaction to the answer as well.

[Jazzmoose]

Do we have to confess if we've read all of the books (except for the last because we're cheap and waiting for the paperback)? Not that I have, of course. I mean, I hear one of the main characters is gay!

[7/4]

Do we have to confess if we've read all of the books (except for the last because we're cheap and waiting for the paperback)? Not that I have, of course. I mean, I hear one of the main characters is gay!

I haven't read the books or seen the movies. Really. Don't look at me like that. I really didn't.

Really.

[Jim Alfredson]

I have not read the books; I think I've seen two of the movies. I can't recall.

Give me Tolkien over Rowling any day.

[ejp626]

More importantly, what does being gay have to do with "finding true love"?

Thank you. That was my reaction to the answer as well.

Whether this is totally accurate is unclear, but this is the exchange as posted in the Guardian UK:

A 19-year-old from Colorado asked about the avuncular headmaster of Hogwarts School: 'Did Dumbledore, who believed in the prevailing power of love, ever fall in love himself?'

The author replied: 'My truthful answer to you...I always thought of Dumbledore as gay.' The audience reportedly fell silent - then erupted into prolonged applause.

Rowling, 42, continued: 'Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald [a bad wizard he defeated long ago], and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was. To an extent, do we say it excused Dumbledore a little more because falling in love can blind us to an extent, but he met someone as brilliant as he was and, rather like Bellatrix, he was very drawn to this brilliant person and horribly, terribly let down by him.'

So he is asking a somewhat more general question about Dumbledore in love, and she is filling in some details of the backstory. Seems plausible and reasonable to me, but I am not going to burn my copy of the books -- or rush out to buy more -- now that we know the Truth.

[Randy Twizzle]

I read the Hardy Boys books when I was a kid, now those were real gay characters

[RDK]

And in related news, it's just been announced that George Bailey - the star of It's a Wonderful Life - once cheated on his wife.

[Chuck Nessa]

And in related news, it's just been announced that George Bailey - the star of It's a Wonderful Life - once cheated on his wife.

Must be a new restored dvd on the way.

[clifford_thornton]

More importantly, what does being gay have to do with "finding true love"?

Thank you. That was my reaction to the answer as well.

Good point.

They still have what, two movies to make and sell. Gotta keep the public excited, right?

[clifford_thornton]

Not having read the books, I pretty much don't care.

Edit to add: I have liked the last few films quite a bit.

Edited October 22, 2007 by clifford_thornton

[clifford_thornton]

One more thing:

If I came out to the board, would my posting history be looked at differently?

I mean, seriously. I hope not.

[GA Russell]

When the first book came out, it was marketed as children's literature. As far as I know, all of the succeeding books were as well.

Mark me down as someone who believes that it is inappropriate to have homosexual heroes in children's literature.

In this case, apparently the guy was celibate during the course of the extended narrative. I don't see any reason for the author to explain why, if it was not important enough to include in one of the books. And, as I say, if it was important enough, it should not be children's literature. I believe that in children's literature, celibacy should be considered the normal behavior of unmarried people.

[Big Al]

If the article is accurate, I have to disagree with Chuck, and Big Al as well:

She was asked by one young fan whether Dumbledore finds "true love."

"Dumbledore is gay," the author responded to gasps and applause.

Sounds like she was asked a question, and answered it matter-of-factly. Of course, it might be different if she had called a press conference just to make that announcement.

I heard that story too but am cynical enough to think it could have been a "plant".

I thought the same thing.

I've read all seven books. The whole "Dumbledore-is-gay" is completely plausible to me. But I don't recall, as Rowling states, any part of book seven that mentioned where Dumbledore "fell in love with Grindewald."