I would bottom to Albus

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has revealed that one of her characters, Hogwarts school headmaster Albus Dumbledore, is gay.

She made her revelation to a packed house in New York's Carnegie Hall on Friday, as part of her US book tour.

She took audience questions and was asked if Dumbledore found "true love".

"Dumbledore is gay," she said, adding he was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, who he beat in a battle between good and bad wizards long ago.

The audience gasped, then applauded. "I would have told you earlier if I knew it would make you so happy," she said.

"Falling in love can blind us to an extent," she added, saying Dumbledore was "horribly, terribly let down" and his love for Grindelwald was his "great tragedy".

"Oh, my god," Rowling, 42, concluded with a laugh, "the fan fiction".

Rowling said her books are a "prolonged argument for tolerance"

Fan sites have long speculated on Dumbledore's sexuality as he was known for having a mysterious, troubled past.

Rowling told the audience that while working on the planned sixth Potter film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, she saw the script carried a reference to a girl who was once of interest to Dumbledore.

She said she ensured director David Yates was made aware of the truth about her character.

Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell welcomed the news about Dumbledore and said: "It's good that children's literature includes the reality of gay people, since we exist in every society.

"But I am disappointed that she did not make Dumbledore's sexuality explicit in the Harry Potter book. Making it obvious would have sent a much more powerful message of understanding and acceptance."

And a spokesman for gay rights group Stonewall added: "It's great that JK has said this. It shows that there's no limit to what gay and lesbian people can do, even being a wizard headmaster."

Rowling also did a brief reading from the seventh book in her best-selling series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as part of her Open Book Tour of the US - her first there for seven years.

She said she regarded her novels as a "prolonged argument for tolerance" and urged her fans to "question authority".

But she added that not everyone likes her work. Christian groups have alleged the books promote witchcraft. The author said her revelation about Dumbledore would give them one more reason.

The seventh Potter book broke sales records on both sides of the Atlantic when it was published in July, selling 11 million copies in 24 hours.

The fifth film adaptation of the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released this summer. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is due for release late next year.

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Hey Shanky it's a great fantasy though. I have them about Sirius, Snape, and Lupin

BBC said:

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has revealed that one of her characters, Hogwarts school headmaster Albus Dumbledore, is gay.

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Great news - and one more reason why Ian McKellen should have replaced Richard Harris. Damn.

BBC said:

"Dumbledore is gay," she said, adding he was smitten with rival Gellert Grindelwald, who he beat in a battle between good and bad wizards long ago.

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Here's hoping JKR makes reference to this in the Potter Encyclopedia (planned to include previously unpublished details and backstories on the characters).


This reminds me, where the heck is Neon? I wonder if she had a chance to order & read book 7 yet. Shank - have you?

JMohegan said:

Shank - have you?

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aaaaaa

welllll

errrrr


I must confess here and now *spoken in a hushed tone* that I have not read a single one of them. I started once and just could not stay with it.

I have, however, listened to the first 4 on my iPod and am about to start #5- they are a wonderful listen, a well told story. I am also current with the movies.


While I'm at it I must also admit that I have never read anything by Tolkien.

Shankara20 said:

aaaaaa

welllll

errrrr


I must confess here and now *spoken in a hushed tone* that I have not read a single one of them. I started once and just could not stay with it.

I have, however, listened to the first 4 on my iPod and am about to start #5- they are a wonderful listen, a well told story. I am also current with the movies.

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Listening counts as reading, for what I wanted to do (discuss Dumbledore's character in the last book). Let me know when you get through it, okay?

Shankara20 said:

While I'm at it I must also admit that I have never read anything by Tolkien.

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This would be a SERIOUS bump in the road if we were considering an intimate relationship.

But since we're not.... I'll just chalk it up to the No One's Perfect rule, and let it go.

CutieMouse said:

Book 7 has become my mindless reading before bedtime ritual... I finish it and start all over again. I should probably just ritualisticly run through the whole series, actually...

As for Tolkien - can't do it. I was 5(?) years old when that awful cartoon version of the Hobbit came out on TV, and it scared me for life. Scary Orc thingies....*shudder*

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I also can't do Tolkien. For the love of all that is good and holy, damn hobbits take forever to GET ANYWHERE.

I didn't know there was an Encyclopedia coming out. Cool!

Btw, speaking of M/m action in HP, did anyone find the energy between the actor Gary Oldman and Daniel Radcliffe....um...interesting...for any reason?

I thought this was really a cool thing!

The last book is by far, the best one for me and mine!

JMohegan said:

This would be a SERIOUS bump in the road if we were considering an intimate relationship.

But since we're not.... I'll just chalk it up to the No One's Perfect rule, and let it go.

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If I can't be adored I'll settle for being accepted....

intothewoods said:

Btw, speaking of M/m action in HP, did anyone find the energy between the actor Gary Oldman and Daniel Radcliffe....um...interesting...for any reason?

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hmmmmm, can anyone say Daddy/boy????

Regardless of gender, 18 to 49 is one hell of an age gap.

You people are pervs!



CM, please let us know if your nocturnal ritual uncovers anything more salacious than the contributions found by the NYT.

Outing Gives Potter Passages New Meaning -

''You cannot imagine how his ideas caught me, Harry, inflamed me,'' Dumbledore says in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final book in Rowling's record-breaking fantasy series.

''Neither Dumbledore nor Grindelwald ever seems to have referred to this brief boyhood friendship in later life,'' Rowling writes. ''However, there can be no doubt that Dumbledore delayed, for some five years of turmoil, fatalities, and disappearances, his attack upon Gellert Grindelwald. Was it lingering affection for the man or fear of exposure as his once best friend that caused Dumbledore to hesitate?''

All kidding aside, I did feel like Gary Oldman gave off a sort of pervy vibe in that movie (nothing to do with the character).

intothewoods said:

All kidding aside, I did feel like Gary Oldman gave off a sort of pervy vibe in that movie (nothing to do with the character).

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and that is soooo unusual for Mr. Oldman.

JMohegan said:

Regardless of gender, 18 to 49 is one hell of an age gap.

You people are pervs!

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errrrrr,

ummmmmm,


aaaaaa,


let me just say......




oh, never mind

Shankara20 said:

aaaaaa

welllll

errrrr


I must confess here and now *spoken in a hushed tone* that I have not read a single one of them. I started once and just could not stay with it.

I have, however, listened to the first 4 on my iPod and am about to start #5- they are a wonderful listen, a well told story. I am also current with the movies.


While I'm at it I must also admit that I have never read anything by Tolkien.

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Nothing wrong with Tolkien, have the complete original boxed set.

And sounds like Shank maybe not telling all about Tolkien??? Hmmmm??

Shankara20 said:

While I'm at it I must also admit that I have never read anything by Tolkien.

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I didn't actually manage to finish the LotR books until recently. Kind of embarrassing for a self-professed fan of fantasy and sci-fi.

Shankara20 said:

and that is soooo unusual for Mr. Oldman.

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That's what my friend said. It's Gary Oldman. He's creepy.

JMohegan said:

This reminds me, where the heck is Neon?

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Neon is very busy. Working her sweet derrière off mainly, a grant / ongoing funding that the Clinic was expecting didn't eventuate. So there has had to be some creative reassignment of duties in order to meet the standards of service and care that are her first focus.

Her cats have both been very sick and cost her a small fortune. One had to have the tip of his penis removed in surgery. She laughs now that he seems better, call him her 'queer' transgender pussy.

Handsome Mr Primary is remarkable and she is still crushing on grrls. Unlikely she will have much time in Lit in the immediate future. I'll be sending her a copy of this post, I haven't revealed anything that Neon would take issue with me sharing on her behalf.

intothewoods said:

That's what my friend said. It's Gary Oldman. He's creepy.

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I've been in lust with Gary Oldman since I watched Bram Stoker's Dracula for the first time.. the scene with Mina.. where you can see how much he loves her, loves her enough to deny himself her touch because of what it would mean to her.. then she says, "Take me away from all this death" and he gets this look on his face as he wraps his arms around her and gives in to the passion between them and..

<looks around>

*coughs*

hehe.. sorry.. got carried away there...

he's a consummate actor who throws himself into his work. He did his own singing in Quest for Camelot, changes how he looks ... from emaciated Sid in Sid and Nancy, to Dracula to nearly bumbling but devoted cop in Batman begins... I've never seen a character that he's taken on that wasnt believable...

ok I'll stop before I get carried away again

back to the original topic...

I read this and first thought.. Um.. so?.. second thought was ..hmm interesting..explains a lot..and then back to .. So?..

Rebecca - Thanks. The cat thing was definitely TMI (!), but I appreciated the rest of the update. Please give her my regards.

EmpressFi said:

I read this and first thought.. Um.. so?.. second thought was ..hmm interesting..explains a lot..and then back to .. So?..

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Straight up? (No pun intended.)

You don't think the existence of a major, and truly beloved, gay character in mainstream children's literature is a milestone of sorts?

Long overdue, no doubt. But a milestone worth celebrating nevertheless. No?

Jack Vance did awesome gay wizards too, check out his Lyonnesse books.

JMohegan said:

Rebecca - Thanks. The cat thing was definitely TMI (!), but I appreciated the rest of the update. Please give her my regards.

Straight up? (No pun intended.)

You don't think the existence of a major, and truly beloved, gay character in mainstream children's literature is a milestone of sorts?

Long overdue, no doubt. But a milestone worth celebrating nevertheless. No?

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I guess what I mean by thinking "So?" was.. more of a big deal. And in this particular case.. a milestone? How is hiding or at least not confirming something that's been tittered about on bulletion boards but never confirmed or denied.. until MONTHS after the last book was published and sold a milestone. Nothing.. absolutely nothing in the series gives proof one way or another that Albus Dumbledore was anything but a concerned, brilliant, humanly flawed, role model/father figure for Harry. How is announcing it after the fact a milestone. Yes, I believe it's overdue..but my "So?" was more in response to what I know must have been millions of the evangelical crowd (not all of them, I know, I'm thinking of the ones I know) who were gasping in horror and saying, "Seeeeeeee, we told you these books were bad."

Just as a teacher's sexual preference should have no bearing on how well he teaches his class.. Dumbledore's sexual preference should have no bearing on his abilities as Headmaster, as teacher, as mentor, as friend.

rosco rathbone said:

Jack Vance did awesome gay wizards too, check out his Lyonnesse books.

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Haven't had the pleasure, but if memory serves from a previous recommendation, political machinations are a big part of the appeal. Is that right?