J.K. Rowling has spilled the beans on one of her famous Harry Potter characters, but outing him certainly came as no surprise to most fans of the popular multi-billion dollar Potter enterprise, but has created a small skism among her longtime followers.
Rowling told fans at New York’s Carnegie Hall that the wizard Albus Dumbledore, head of Hogwarts school, is gay.
Rowling told the crowd, that responded with applause, that in the past Dumbledore fell in love with the charming and likeable wizard Gellert Grindelwald. However, it seems that Grindelwald was a tad more interested in the dark arts than in doing good. This revelation crushed the old wizard and set Dumbledore on a path that, as Rowling stated, would cause Dumbledore’s “great tragedy”. That tragedy was his life-long quest to destroy the object of his love. “Falling in love can blind us to an extent,” Rowling told the audience.
Some fans were decidedly upset stating that it was unimportant whether or not the popular Head Master of the School for Wizards (no pun intended — really!) was gay or straight. And, they also felt it was totally unnecessary for Rowling to make such a declaration at a gathering where she knew it would be readily scarfed-up by the press. Other fans were happy that what they had believed all along about Dumbledore had finally been confirmed by the very creator of the character.
What made Rowling finally go public with this information was something that happened during the film adaptation of her sixth book in the Potter series. Some of the writers were adapting a scene in “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” in which Dumbledore is reminiscing about some of his past lady-loves. Rowling grabbed the script and wrote across the lines “Dumbledore is gay!” She decided to go public at this time just in case that copy of the script, with her scribblings, would ever see the light of day. This way she outed her character and not some headline-grabbing stranger.
tim and darcy low says
this so sucked and made me mad she did this. you guys can read what me and dad said about on forums. Im not going to see the other movies now, and getting rid of my books. I dont care he’s gay it just that I had this idea of him all this time as a grandpa like person. no where in any books or the movies do it say he gay. and reason she gave was so stupid. so he had bad things happen in his life, he lost people and stuff. so did harry, so did ron. they arent gay are they?
so why all the sudden oh dumbledore is gay. im so mad right now. why come she couldnt let readers decide? why she have to go and say this?
im done with it, shes so stupid.
darcy
EddieLa says
Past your bedtime, kid. Hell, it’s past humankind’s bedtime seems like. Letting an obvious revelation like that (obvious after reading book 7) ruin your ENJOYMENT of these books is pretty “Fâ€Â-ing stupid. Maybe this little revelation about a FICTIONAL character will teach you that people are more than what you want them to be.
Anyway, go Boston! Woooo!! Bring on game 7!
Greg says
tim and darcy low Says:
“blah blah, whine whine”.
Maybe you need to look a little harder at why this offends you so much. So what if he’s gay? Does that make something less worthy as a person for being so?
Sounds to me that you’re probably the one that ‘sucks’ for letting this ‘offend’ you.
Grow up and join the 21st century.
tim and darcy low says
in response to both eddie and greg.
my daughter is twelve years old, she like other’s her age have read all of the books, and seen all of the Harry Potter movies. Now she is being told, Years later mind you; that all of her ideas about a fiction character have been wrong. you both seem to think the “gay” issue is what offends Darcy, that couldn’t be further from the truth. what is offensive is that J K using a series of children books to promote her own agenda. And to come out with this after years and years of the series, if she was wanting to help tote the gayness of dumbledore, and help the gay lobby. Then why not state that he was gay in the first book? Why after all this time come out with a off hand remark, “Oh Dumbledore is gay.”
Seems to me the women has realized that she has no more book left in her. (If you recall the writer’s block and how long it took her to write the last book?) I think she is just stirring things up to help sell more books, myself.
As far as Darcy “whining”, I supposed you both never complained about of let say Firefly being taken off the air, or dersin being replaced by flassh and pain killer jane. Or perhaps no never complain about taxes or the current government?
My daughter expresses herself in a concise, mature manner in all her post. without resorting to cursing. And she has ever right in the world to do so, both here, the forum, and in real life. She is part of the new generation gentalmen, who are not afraid to stand up for themselves and will say “this is bullshit” when they see it. Perhaps you two just like to roll over and take it, we do not.
tim
Magess says
The thing is, tim, nothing has actually -changed- about Dumbledore. Nothing he does or says in the books is different. He’s not going to act differently in the movies. She didn’t say anything about it in the books because *gasp* it didn’t matter. Gay was not a major characteristic or motivating factor in his life during the time period that the books are set.
It might be stupid on some level to declare that part of his character when it doesn’t, in fact, matter. But did you check the reason she did it? There was going to be a line in a movie that talked about him once having a girlfriend. And that didn’t agree with the history she had made for him. What’s wrong with that? (darcy, she wasn’t saying that having bad things happen to you MAKES you gay. She was saying that in Dumbledore’s life, part of the hardship he went through was having to fight against someone he cared about.)
Being gay is not necessarily a defining characteristic, such that you need to declare it and make the man a fairy or something just to live up to people’s expectations or justify that label.
There’s nothing to “roll over and take”. It’s not like you’re going to convince her that she’s wrong. I mean, you can elect to hate the whole series now. But why? What do you gain? You miss out on a good story just so you can protest gayness?
tim and darcy low says
you missed my point magess. but no matter, to each his or her own. the gayness wasn’t the issue. the fact that she waited until now to say this reeks of a attention grab. it’s very cheap of her to do this. she is taking advantage of her readers, and I might add the gay community in order to profit from it. my point of roll over and take it, was that why should we as readers or society in general not speak up if given the chance to do so? if something sound like bull, which all of this does; why not say it? that was my point. but to each his own. moving on.
tim
tim
Greg says
Tim,
I think you need to read the last paragraph of the article a little more slowly.
She ‘outed’ her character to prevent the news becoming even more ‘tabloidy’ should anyone get their hands on the original script that she penned those notes into… not the odd little tangent you seem obsessed on following.
Kurt says
Adding a little levity to the conversation, suddenly, this video has an entirely new subtext!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1XIm6q4r4
Mr Wall says
If his sexuality really doesn’t matter then why the big long debate on it? Would the character be creating this much debate if Rowling let the screen writers keep the reminiscing hetero scene in the movie? Is he no longer a grandfather figure because of his sexuality?
Tim & Darcy, you both claim that people are missing the point; to say that it’s just an attention grab (or better yet, a gimmick.)In truth that would actually be piss poor marketing since folks like you actually lose interest in the characters, in turn they would be losing a large chunk of their already established market in trade for a chunk of a much smaller market with the possibility of them losing interest because it’s just a fad.
tim and darcy low says
oh well,
you guys just dont get it so nevermind. who cares.
darcy
Mr Wall says
That’s what I’m trying to understand Darcy.
What difference does it make in the stories? You’ve now chosen NOT to be a HP fan because of this supposed marketing gimmick, yet I doubt you’re alone in this choice which conflict with what a gimmick should do so why do you think Rowling would suddenly come with with such an idea?
LIsa in Indiana says
Of course this is a cheap publicity stunt. It’s Harry Potter. The entire series is a marketing construct. The books are fun, but they are nothing special. The combination of exceptional marketing and Rowling’s ability to play to the publicity machine is what’s made this series what it is today. The fact that this kind of announcement has gotten the press that is has is proof. There is no such thing as bad publicity.
Darcy, I hope you will keep reading. And I hope you will keep reading sci-fi. Heinlein, Asimov, Atwood, Card, LeGuin… read them all. You will find in them a world of ideas and opinions, some of which you will agree with and some you will not. But when the mind opens, in creeps wisdom.
Tim. I hope you will continue to let Darcy express her opinions in this forum. She is an eloquent spokesperson for her position. Consider composing some reviews for “Dragon Page”. I would look forward to hearing them.
Magess says
I guess I’m just not sure why Rowling would need to “grab attention”. She has the most popular franchise on the planet and more money than God.
Summer Brooks says
Darcy’s already sent in a written review for Dragon Page. Look for it on the website sometime later this week!
Wilford Tibbetts says
LOL… People are ticked because JKR says he’s gay? That’s bloody stupid. Personally, I’ve never wondered about Dumbledore’s sexuality. The character was an honorable man that had some problems with power when he was younger. It only adds more to the character that he fell in love and had to, in the end, fight the very person he was in love with. In the end, he did the right thing. That should be the important message that people should focus on, not whether he was gay or not?
It just shows the imaturity, and hatred, people have for someone who is different in some way from themselves. If you want to stop enjoying these novels/movies over something as minor as the characters sexuality? Then it’s your loss.
tim and darcy low says
oh no need to worry lisa she loves books, heck she will read two at once. lol.
and thanks summer, you made her week on that.
okay folks, we are moving on. darcy tryed to explain her feelings as have I. folks have gotten hung up on the gay thing, which completly was off our point entirely. I realize this is a hot button issue, so we will move on.
oh and no worries lisa, i will always let darcy speak her mind on anything. shes tweleve, and has to learn it’s not always easy to get your point across to people, and not everyone is going to share your views. she get frustrated because she feels people don’t listen to her. but here she has found folks that do. we made some really good friends.
now all i need to do is get her over the shyness of calling into the shows. im working on it summer. it’s a long process, but shes coming along. heck i get nervous at times calling in. I guess it’s the time thing.
tim
we are moving on from this topic. thanks all, for your responses. i respect all of them. i guess for some we will just have to agree to disagree and let it go at that.
EddieLa says
I agree that JKR should just shut up about her characters and stop revealing these useless “facts†about them. Take a cue from Stephen King or any other author and keep quiet. I enjoyed the Potter series, the end. I wouldn’t even have found out about this had I not visited this site. Who’s to blame? JKR for her big mouth or the press for making a big deal out of it?
Hey passion for something is great, pick a better battle though. This is lame.
Dana says
Would Star Trek fans moan and complain about having additional backstory regarding Kirk and Spock revealed from Gene Rodenberry’s notes that wasn’t included in the series or movies? Hell no. Even the tiniest tidbits from the creator of those characters would be met with rejoicing.
Why should anyone get offended about additional character information being released for the HP series? Rowling is just sharing additional information about characters she created and loves so that the films stay true to her vision. There’s really no cause for any offense or drama here people.
Dave from OZ says
Tim and Darcy,
Maybe you and Darcy could record an mp3 and send it to Mike. That would take the time pressure off.
And Darcy, don’t be shy, we all want to hear what you have to say. Obviously we might not agree with you but we still want to hear your opinion.
Dave.
tim and darcy low says
ill put it on my journal what i was trying to ask and stuff. people here totally didnt get it at all. it had nothing to do with the gay thing. it has to do with her timing. and not putting this IN the books. she had years to. and SEVEN BOOKS!!! she couldnt do her “backstory” or whatever in them?
okay im going get in trouble becuase dad told me just to drop it. so im going to post o my journal this weekend. read it if you guys want to. or dont.
darcy
Adam says
Darcy (and Tim),
Good gods! Seven Potter books, sometimes at 600+ pages, and you wonder why Dumbledore’s sexuality wasn’t mentioned? Were the books too short? Let’s face it–given the statistics, Dumbledore probabably wasn’t the only gay character. Sexuality, like left-handedness or tone-deafness, is one of many defining aspects of an individual, but I don’t consider my sexuality the be-all/end-all of my identity. Bottom line–IT WASN’T RELEVANT TO THE STORY. If she had added a pointless storyline just to highlight Dumbledore’s sexuality, that would have been bad writing. The information only came out when she answered a question. Would you have preferred she lied?
Gregory Hubbard says
I just stumbled across this and can not believe what I’ve some of these comments.
Tim, Darcy and EddieLa are only fooling themselves when they say this is not about Gays or Homophobia. J.K. Rowling was preventing scriptwriters from misrepresenting a character she’d created, changing his orientation, and thus part of the motivation for his actions. This is something she had every right to do.
In addition, she had every right to control how and when the public learned details of Dumbledor’s “life†as she’d imagined them to “create†him. She decided to reveal it before the gossips did. Don’t like it? Tough. You have the rest of your life to feel betrayed.
Furthermore, most writers don’t share the entire “backstory” for their characters. There isn’t space, and too much information can smother a reader, or hamper the flow or speed of the reader’s enjoyment. Anyone who writes knows this.
Sadly, these folks are simply angry they were “tricked” into liking a character who turned out to be Gay. A heroic character vital to the triumph of GOOD over EVIL in these stories. I’m glad I don’t have to deal with these people on a personal basis. Can you imagine having that much anger sitting next to you at dinner or across the office?
They should stick with nice safe heterosexuals, like the Marines who let female Russian Spies into the American Embassy in Moscow.
And before anyone howls about that remark, remember, I know this was a handful of men in a branch of the American armed services absolutely stuffed with some of the bravest and most honorable men and women the world will ever know. Oh, and many are Gay or Lesbian…
Summer Brooks says
Greg, I wish you’d been able to disagree without resorting to personal attacks on other people.
Why was it never put in the stories? If it’s true, I think JKR was afraid to include it in the books because of the anti-HP sentiment that was already there… or embarrassed.
Her own words: “If I’d known it would make you happy, I would have said it years ago”… if that’s not someone who’s trying to mold her stories based on fear of what others might think, then what would you call that statement? What would you call the fact that it means that she was trying to hide that fact about one of her characters, likely forever?
Whatever her reasons, it was very disingenuous of her to go about revealing that fact in that matter. If she were so concerned about her script notes going public, why didn’t she do it when it happened, instead of later when she was already on a press tour? At a packed house in Carnegie Hall?
There’s so much content in that book, why didn’t she just tell the writers that adding that throwaway comment was a waste of valuable screen time that would have been better used focusing on a storyline that’s actually in the book?
It doesn’t change my enjoyment of the novels or the movies, but I was disappointed with her attitude and approach to going public with it. More because her explanation made it seem like it was an afterthought, than anything else, but it had been a rumor running around the fan community for ages… why not confirm it after the final book was out, or put in a line in the final book that either confirmed the rumor, or deepened the mystery?
As for it not being a publicity stunt, you don’t think that studio execs panicked a bit when Order of the Phoenix didn’t hit $100 million it’s first weekend, and were looking for ways to stir up wider public interest for the future? I have my suspicions, but that’s my cynical side talking. It won’t stop me from seeing Half-Blood Prince, or buying the DVD of it when it comes out, but I don’t have to like the way this situation was handled.
Also, your personal attacks on some of the commenters here, including a bright and creative 12-year-old, seem to reflect that you have more than a little intolerance and anger of your own, and your reasons for taking it out on people who you believe aren’t as “tolerant” as you are seem rather ironic.
I hope you aren’t that vicious and condescending with people you have to deal with in real life, either. I’m just pointing out that tolerance isn’t limited just to those who share your worldview and your opinions.
hannah says
I love the fact that JK Rowling can say that she has developed a character that is gay, and not be afraid to say it. People all over the world are gay, so why can’t a fantasy character be? it really isn’t relevant to the story of Harry Potter, but for people who love the books so much, and like to know more than just what is on the surface of the story, I think it’s great. It’s real life, and homosexuality, even in fantasy, exists and I’m very happy that she knows that. Who cares anyway, it’s not like Dumbledore is a real person. And she never ever goes into detail about his sexual experiences. So f*ck it, get over yourself, and grow up. Just enjoy the books and movies for what they are, a great story and a fantastic piece of art.
the lows says
Actually we have a nephew who is both openly gay, married to his partner and living in California. Both are the nicest and most caring people you will ever meet.
Putting a character in a book that is gay, we have no problem with. What we do have a problem with is how it was handled by Ms. Rowling in the first place.
Now before we get flamed again, set back and look at everyone that disagreed with us. And consider this, just think of the impact J.K. Rowling could have made if she would have said this much earlier on. Think of the kids and young people that are afraid to come out of the shadows for fear of being told they weren’t normal.
I’ll give you she is a great writer, however I would say this is her one and only masterwork. I do not see her ever doing anything else, (Just my thoughts.) I felt then and still feel this was just her way of gaining more sales of the books. Not because of wanting to help the gay community by giving them a hero in a fantasy novel. Rather it was motivated by money.
Books were great, movies were so so. But there is so much more out there that is better.
Have to agree with Summer as well, cursing is a bit childish folks. If you have a rebuttal, fine.. State it without falling back to that, just makes you dissageement look less than it is.
Tim
the lows says
Sorry,
There was a button here…..
Tim
Brian Brown says
Jeez.. This thread is ANCIENT and you’re still flogging that greasy spot on the ground that used to be a dead horse?!? MOVE THE FSCK ALONG!
Sheesh.
the lows says
There was a button…..
Tim
Brian Brown says
*smacks Tim’s hand away from the button*
Go on! Shoo! Go outside and get some sunshine and fresh air!
the lows says
Walks the horse off the stage muttering, ” I never get to have any fun.”