Megan, you may want to reconsider your view on what’s FAR more important about being gay or straight, or just human for that matter: it’s about love, not sex. And who you tend to love has a lot to do with your personality and who you are as a whole, just like your gender identity does. “Sexual orientation” has to do with gender, as in the phrase “which sex are you, male or female or other?” It means which sex are you drawn to, oriented to when it comes to love, etc. The phrase’s definition is often confused with the other definition of sex. This one simply means gender, and can maybe be rephrased as “gender you’re orientated to.”

I strongly believe that one’s sexual (gender) orientation should be allowed to be just as important as their gender. It has so much to do with how one interacts with and exists in the world. It’s something to be celebrated. Limiting it’s importance to just “sex” is tragic. (Don’t get me wrong though, that aspect is beautiful and important as well.)

Oh, and aside from all that: I knew it, and I’m glad she waited until the books were done, because being gay is normal, and shouldn’t have to be spelled out any more than being straight should be. Though I do wish she had just answered the question by saying, “Yes, Dumbledore loved very deeply. He was deeply in love with Gellert Grindelwald,” and gone on to talk about the tragedy in that, because love is what the girl was asking about.

Also, I’m sure there are other gay or bisexual characters in the series.

“Nothing against gay-ness, just that “DD” and “sex” don’t go right in my mind!!!!” Posted by Megan on October 19, 2007 @ 09:49 PM

I love it! Thank you Rowling. Young GLTB adults now have a great mentor in Dumbledore.

I say let them complain…the greater the furor, the more of a badge of honor it will become. Besides, what kind of trouble could she possibly be in?

Joanne K. Rowling, I salute.

That’s awesome…that’s definatly my favarite Dumbledore/Gandalf…or rather Ian McKellen parallel.

And I really love, that Neville got married to Hannah. I always though, Jo had said, he didn’t marry (dont now why I was thinking that..) and I was really sad for him. But that’s great! And he’s living at the Leaky Cauldron…I love Jo :D

I personnally think that it’s great that JKR decided to reveal that. It’s totally relevant to the story, and important to fully understand it. I am one one the thousands that read the book 7 and understood right away what the subtext was, about the relationship between AD and GG… If you’re thick, don’t blame the author for it. It was wanted, since book 7 at LEAST.

Secondly, to all who are completely shocked that she decided to say he’s gay because “you havenothing against gays but it’s too much info” : well no one said it was too much info to say that HP was straight or that Molly was married…

Thridly, I am really sorry that people who read about tolerance and acceptance during 7 books have this kind of reactions… Honestly. I see we still have a long way to go. Especiall you in the US… In Europe people didn’t really care, or were like “waaaa its greaaat !!”. I cant believe I just read 30 pages of half hatred posts / half pseudo theological discussions…

I don’t like that fact that she revealed Dumblebore is gay.

The reason?

Unlike Buffy the Vampire Slayer, with Willow being a lesbian and all, Homosexuality will forever be stamped on the Harry Potter books with big red letters. When I think of Harry Potter from now on, I will always be thinking “HOMOSEXUALITY” in big red letters at first, instead of “Some of my favorite memories were about reading those books.” If Dumbledore really was gay, then there should have actually been concrete proof that he was. If you really believe that the “clues” people keep mentioning actually meant Dumbledore felt eros (sexaul love) towards Grindelwald instead of philia (friendship) than Frodo and Samwise were gay and Boromir and Pippin were gay. It doesn’t make any sense. There was absolutely nothing in the books that could seriously lead to the conclusion that Dumbledore was gay.

I am absolutely disappointed with the revelation of Mrs Rowling that dumbledore is gay. I am sure that Mrs Rowling knew that this statement would lauch many controversial discussions. She could have revealed this fact before millions of people bought her 7 books, then many people could have decided for themselves whether they would want to buy & read her books or not. I do not judge homosexuals nor do I express my personal views on homosexuals, but I feel cheated when others try to gatecrash their personal opinions through the back door. Shame on you Mrs Rowling, this is just a stunt on your part to sell more books. I for one, who used to be a big big harry potter fan, am now going to throw out all the 7 books….... Maybe some homosexual will find them in the garbage bin….

Why on earth did we need to know? Was J.K. worried about her celebrity fading? First let me state that I am not homophoebic. But come on, these books are intended for children, my kids love them. I now have to explain to my six year what being gay means, thanks to JK, a little talk I was hoping to put off for a few more years yet. You are all carrying on as if this is some great thing that he has been outed (newsflash, he is not real!) JKR has lost some of her sheen for me, due to this cheap grab at the limelight.

If that’s what you’ll always be thinking when you read the books, that’s your problem, not Jo’s. Why not be thinking “HETEROSEXUALITY” because of Harry being in straight relationship?

And Jo didn’t have to prove it, just like she didn’t have to prove that probably tons of other characters in the books are gay or bisexual, or straight for that matter.

I think most people are being SO hypocrit here. I’m really laughing my ass of. Everybody loves Dumbledore. Now, apparently he’s gay, and now all of a sudden he’s not ok anymore? His sexual orientation does not change anything about his great deeds. He was a great person. Does it really matter that while you’re saving the world you like men or women? Don’t think so…

Oh, by the way, being gay doesn’t mean he’s after Harry…. STUPIDS. If you’re a straight grown man, do you try to get laid with every little girl in town? That’s called paedophilia. That’s something totally different than being gay…

Omg that is soo awesome!! i love when autors tell u the answered questions!!! man, i thought that neville was gonna be with luna though, oh well, it still rocks!!!

I completely agree, Candy. My daughter has just seen this on the news and wants it explained to her. Thank you, Jo [/sarcasm] – I want to be the one to tell my children the meaning of hetro and homosexual relationships when she is old enough to understand. Not you. Shame on you.

Candy, what’s wrong with telling your kids “some people love women, and some people love men?” Your six-year-old might just be gay or bisexual, and whether or not he or she is, don’t you want them to grow up with the same kind of tolerance the books are all about? Hopefully your child will get a chance to see gayness as just as normal and no-big-deal as straightness.

Why people seem to get the idea that talking about orientation is the same as talking about sex is really confusing for me.

JK relied on the imagination and innocence of children to sell her stories. How dare she intrude upon the fantasy world/stories children have come to love, by throwing a scandal into it? This has made world wide news, I hope she realises the impact. Being gay is okay. But having an innocent unaltered view of the world for a while is much nicer. Ignorance is bliss. Why spoil it? I am so disappointed with JK.