At a press conference this morning in Toronto, author J.K. Rowling was asked repeatedly about the recent revelations regarding the background information on Dumbledore and the fact that she said she felt this character was gay. Saying “I’m not kidding,” about this statement Jo made last Friday in New York, the author went on to note “I know that it was a positive thing that I said it for at least one person because one man ‘came out’ at Carnegie Hall.”
The Star (DH plot spoiler at link!) continues on to note J.K. Rowling emphasized the information was revealed because she was asked a direct question about it, and said “she didn’t feel the need to be explicit about Dumbledore’s sexual preferences because she wanted to focus on character development.
“If you were an author then you would understand that when you write the ending it comes at the end,” she said.”
Update: The entire video press conference with Jo is now online, here. Thanks Mahri!)
Jo continued on to say:
The plot is what it is,” said Rowling. “(Dumbledore) did have, as I say, this rather tragic infatuation but that was a key part of the ending of the story so there it is. Why would I put the key part of my ending of my story in Book One?”
Rowling said Tuesday she found it “freeing” to out Dumbledore, adding that the passages about him will mean different things to different readers.
“I think a child will see a friendship and I think a sensitive adult may well understand that it was an infatuation,” she said.
UPDATE: Reuters has more now from JKR, who elaborated on her decision to reveal the information about Dumbledore stating:”He is my character. He is what he is and I have the right to say what I say about him.”
Jo also said again “she might work on a Potter encyclopedia for charity, but only after a long break.”It’s like the break-up of a marriage. It’s a good idea not to see each other for a while, then maybe you can be good friends afterwards,” she said.”
Update 3: Photos of Jo from the press conference in Toronto, Ontario Canada are now up in our galleries, here.
My, such a fuss on this.
My first reaction has been “hun”?? i had never seen dumbledore like this. And never though the jkr would bring on the subject.
Yeah, gay is not normality, it’s not the way nature made us. So that ? That don’t make it wrong. Since when is not being normal a crime ? Na, gays people are just humans, no worse or better than the heteros.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE OUTED? AND WHY DOES IT REALLY MATTER IF HE IS GAY OR NOT? IS SHE GOING TO RIGHT ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT DD? OTHERWISE I DONT REALLY SEE THE POINT IN WHY THIS IS SUCH A BIG DEAL? ALSO, IS HE GAY IN REAL LIFE OR JUST HIS CHARACTER?
While I’m very pleased that Ms. Rowling has elected to expound on this aspect of her character, I’d note that Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar series (specifically, Magic’s Pawn, Magic’s Promise, and Magic’s Price) had an openly gay (shay’a’chern, as she dubbed gay folk) character who was the most powerful wizard on the planet, and saved the day (at great cost to himself.) These outstanding tales came out decades ahead of Harry Potter, so it’s not quite a unique notion. Maybe that means a prequel isn’t that far out of the question. If she can repeat Mercedes Lackey, why not Lucas’ prequels, too?
At some point the hoopla needs to die down. As much as I love the books and characters of HP, and as crazy as a fan I am … we do need to remember that we ARE talking about an imaginary person, here. This is a debate about a man made up in her IMAGINATION! If someone is so ridiculously upset by DD’s sexual preference … guess what? they don’t have to imagine it. They can focus on his love of socks.
Now onto a more exciting revelation … who is the Latino Hogwarts student? I mean, black, white, Asian, East Indian … can the Hispanics get a little love?
That’s what I’m going as for Halloween: Maria Juanita, the Latina Hogwarts Student. Viva la Gryffindor!
Apalling -truly appalling. The financial motivation behind her cowardly decision to only out Dumbledore AFTER publication of all 7 books is obvious. Having said that, Dumbledore is one fo fiction’s most complex, devious, self-obessed, cruel and cowardly characters. As he himself said -His brother and indeed Harry are far, far finer people.
Why is it that we can’t simply not agree with JKR’s choice to make such an important character gay? Why does that make us “Haters” or “Intolerant” or “Bigots”?
Just because we find homosexuality a sickening thought does not mean that we hate gay people.
And those who insist that saying Dumbledore is gay is the same as saying he is straight – stop kidding yourselves. By the very definition of the words straight is normal and natural, gay is not. Normal because the vast majority of the population say it is. Natural because that is the way nature intended the species to reproduce.
I don’t hate gay people. I don’t treat them any differently when I run into them. I don’t speak ill of them. I do not wish them violence or unhappiness.
I simply do not agree with their sexuality. Not because of religion, not because of “intolerence”, and certainly not because I hate. It’s just because it is disgusting to think about.
I feel like some of the people in this discussion have not even read the books. They are only here to spout their intolerant views. Real Harry Potter fans would never act like this and I think JKR with this press-conference really suggested that.
@Whitney: JKR isn’t the one making the big deal out of it. IT’s stupid people who are. JKR answered a question at an event that’s all she did. As a matter of fact she answered several questions. The one about Arthur Weasley and MOlly Weasley and Bellatrix, the one about Snape’s portrait ALL had longer answers than the one about Dumbledore, but that’s the one people are all in an uproar about because they have a problem with it for some reason?! A problem I still can’t understand. I mean a character is Gay, so What? There are like over 100 characters mentioned in her books, you can’t have expected them all to be the same. But that’s what it is isn’t, People want all the characters in the books to be white and heterosexual or otherwise they’re going to have a problem.
Whitney, Che and others…I feel very sad that you choose to be so negative. As far as “forcing sexual preference down anyones throat”, I don’t think this is the place for this conversation….Ms Rowling did a very good and noble thing. As far as the Tolerance part of her stories goes..how sad that we, here in the 21st Century, still have this problem. Children will not know that there is any problem, if the adults (and we are, aren’t we?) don’t make an issue of it. Live and let live….........
Posted by Confederate Lady on October 23, 2007, 04:50 PM
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I have been a huge fan of these books. I have read them all and seen all the movies. I am very unhappy that she made a comment about Dumbledore being gay. Forget the issue as to whether or not being gay is wrong or right. It is not a strangers place to teach our children about such issues. It should be up to the parents. What is this world coming to when it is ok for a stranger to raise such questions for our children.
Who’s to say being gay is not natural? Did God come down from the skies and give you a revelation? I didn’t think so :p besides, if it weren’t “natural” it wouldn’t be in “nature” in the first place.
@Melissa: Some people in this discussion were obviously never REAL fans in the first place because they’re acting like idiots over something so small. I mean this is a big revelation and it’s makes Dumbledore’s character alot more complex. But seriously, all JKR did was give us more backstory on one of the characters. But people are all upset because the backstory involved something, that for some reason that i still can’t understand, is UNACCEPTED??!!!!
"It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," they heard [Fleur] saying grumpily... "I will not fit into my dress robes!"[br]"Oooh there's a tragedy," Hermione snapped as Fleur went out into the entrance hall. "She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, do
My, such a fuss on this. My first reaction has been “hun”?? i had never seen dumbledore like this. And never though the jkr would bring on the subject.
Yeah, gay is not normality, it’s not the way nature made us. So that ? That don’t make it wrong. Since when is not being normal a crime ? Na, gays people are just humans, no worse or better than the heteros.