J K Rowling is Brilliantly Subversive
J K Rowling is Brilliantly Subversive
NEW YORK (AP) — Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. Dumbledore, played by Michael Gambon, was in love with his male rival, the author of Harry Potter books says. 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.” “Oh, my god,” Rowling concluded with a laugh, “the fan fiction.”
Potter readers on fan sites and elsewhere on the Internet have speculated on the sexuality of Dumbledore, noting that he has no close relationship with women and a mysterious, troubled past. And explicit scenes with Dumbledore already have appeared in fan fiction. Rowling told the audience that while working on the planned sixth Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” she spotted a reference in the script to a girl who once was of interest to Dumbledore. A note was duly passed to director David Yates, revealing the truth about her character.
Rowling, finishing a brief “Open Book Tour” of the United States, her first tour here since 2000, also said that she regarded her Potter books as a “prolonged argument for tolerance” and urged her fans to “question authority.” Not everyone likes her work, Rowling said, likely referring to Christian groups that have alleged the books promote witchcraft. Her news about Dumbledore, she said, will give them one more reason.
What a coup! She writes a series which inculcates itself and its characters into an entire generation. Then when it’s over, she outs the hero as gay. In a single stroke, Rowling has done more for tolerance and humanity than a thousand activists. The pen really is mightier than the sword.
Evangelical Christians, as she noted, will be apoplectic.
Comments (10 comments)
Christian Apologetics Ministries at Sntjohnny.com » Blog Archive » Dumbledore is Gay? What is a Christian to do with Harry Potter? / October 20th, 2007, 7:09 pm / #1
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Dumbledore is Gay? - A Catholic Christian Response / October 22nd, 2007, 9:59 pm / #2
I think that an argument can be made that orthodox Christians do not need to oppose the Harry Potter Books. In fact, I have written an little article about it on my Website. Dumbledore is Gay? - A Catholic Christian Response
BlackSun / October 26th, 2007, 9:05 am / #3
OK, Working to Beat Hell, or whatever you call yourself: I went and checked out your so-called “Catholic Christian Response.” Hmm. How original, as a Catholic, you advocate repression. I’m so surprised.
Wow, I could go off here on such a snarky rant. But I don’t have to. Or maybe I will. What the hell. You’ve made my case for me. Being gay is OK, as long as you don’t act on it. That’s like saying there’s nothing wrong with fire as long as it doesn’t burn anything. Jeez.
And we’re supposed to take the word of the Catholic leadership on that, huh? OK, right, the ones who seem to do so well by confining their “gay” impulses to young people under the age of consent. Or not.
And this solution of yours completely misses the tragic nature of Dumbledore’s situation. Having not read the books, I don’t fully understand why he was a “chaste” celibate male. But I can be pretty goddamn sure it wasn’t out of a sense of religious duty.
Your position would be funny if it wasn’t so misanthropic. But I’ve come to expect that from people who live their lives based on dogma rather than observation.
Enjoy your state of repression. Now that’s really something to live for.
seri / June 18th, 2009, 2:13 am / #4
"As such, he can actually serve as a example (albeit fictional) of how a person can have a homosexual orientation and still live a virtuous Christian life within the bounds of Catholicism."
haha now this comment is hilarious!! If the so called god does not like this homosexual orientation, why this orientation is even there? and what should those do who have it? So your religion accepts that there is "homosexual orientation"!!!!
haaaa! P.S. great reply!
Myriam Koepcke / June 21st, 2009, 5:27 pm / #5
If I am still allowed to post here (noting that you did remove my last post, which is your right, as you do own the board)… I would note that the Catholic faith has done more to explore "what is real" about human nature using the scientific method in overseas research, independently of Farenheit 451 (last regime) U.S. govt forces who use media embarrassment as well as silent cooperation among publishers to supress information–than I believe any other organization on the planet has accommplished. They are in the position to implement independent research, spanning the globe with representation in nearly every continent and consisting of 1/3 of the membership of the human race.
Myriam Koepcke / June 21st, 2009, 5:30 pm / #6
continuing, since black sun keeps saying "sorry, comment too long":
I do not believe their research indicates other than the realilty of genomic patterns predicting true homosexualilty, that is, the real inability to experience attraction towards a person of the opposite gender, while feeling naturally and internally directed impulses that can only be resolved through same gender partnership. Catholic organizations tend to politicallly align with anti-gay candidates and offiially take the position that homosexuality is a family-destructive movement–because Catholicism is the strongest proponent for the protection of the traditional family structure on the planet and this seems to be the only simple–or maybe simplistic–method to accomplish this goal… why?
Myriam Koepcke / June 21st, 2009, 5:31 pm / #7
continuing,
I believe there is an emerging understanding among the educated of the Magesterium regarding the genetic factors that play into the very complex issue of homosexuality. Unfortunately, simplicity gets results, complexity confuses the majority, so in order to keep their policies simple enough to understand, the Catholic church must continue to politicallly align against gay activism because gay culture–independently of homosexual individuals–has evolved, using all the high tech tools available, into a societal problem so much larger than the simple fact that some individuals are naturally predisposed to same gender attraction. I am not convinced that all homosexual people agree with the new emerging "gay culture" that limits their own expression of themselves, and their sexuality, by narrowing the scope of what is possible without peer pressure interference of the exploration of themselves in relation to their same gender partner and the rest of the world.
Myriam Koepcke / June 21st, 2009, 5:31 pm / #8
continuing,
I believe there is an emerging understanding among the educated of the Magesterium regarding the genetic factors that play into the very complex issue of homosexuality. Unfortunately, simplicity gets results, complexity confuses the majority, so in order to keep their policies simple enough to understand, the Catholic church must continue to politicallly align against gay activism because gay culture–independently of homosexual individuals–has evolved, using all the high tech tools available, into a societal problem so much larger than the simple fact that some individuals are naturally predisposed to same gender attraction. I am not convinced that all homosexual people agree with the new emerging "gay culture" that limits their own expression of themselves, and their sexuality, by narrowing the scope of what is possible without peer pressure interference of the exploration of themselves in relation to their same gender partner and the rest of the world.
Myriam Koepke / June 21st, 2009, 5:40 pm / #9
continuing,
I would like to hear from thoughtful homosexual people about whether or not they consider peer pressure within gay culture to be problematic to their own free sense of expression as both sexual and nonsexual human beings, within gay culture and within the larger culture of the human race. Does anybody who finds themselves within the culture simply because of their genetic predisposition ever feel inhibited by that culture, isolated from the outside mainstream culture, polarized to the degree that communication becomes impossible between individuals within and individuals outside, … etc.? I believe thinking homosexual people might consider that this does occur, and even regret the extent to which the culture places them unecessarily at odds with the rest of the world, and unfortunately, places the rest of the world at odds with them.
Myriam Koepcke / June 21st, 2009, 5:40 pm / #10
I am not homosexual, and perhaps I have no right to speak on behalf of a person who is. However, several of my very deal friends are homosexual, I have watched their lives, experienced with them some of their struggles, and am most sorry that because of the very large cultural canyon that divides us it is so difficult to reach one another across the gap. I would venture to reach across the gap even if it means that sometimes I take a very hard fall, not quite being able to step across, in order to reach those people who I grok, I really think I do, and if I don't then I want them to help me better grok.
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