Dumbledore is gay, so what?
Apparently, J.K. Rowling intended one of her characters of the Harry Potter Series, the great old wizard Albus Dumbledore, to be gay. Admittedly, I did not pick up on that at all reading the books. So, why would younger readers do so? Consequently, what good would such a message do if many readers do not see it? Of course, gay rights advocates call this a great revelation and a step toward greater acceptance of homosexuality by society. Well, maybe, maybe not.
Race, gender and gay rights activists continuously want to draw special attention to their plight. And the problem is that those who demand equal treatment regardless of their race, gender or sexual orientation, are often so focused on it that any inclusion of race, gender or sexuality in public works is hailed as a victory and any offense they take is characterized by them as a racist, misogynist or homophobic attack. It seems to me that making a fuss about what does and what does not advance acceptance of homosexuality only adds fuel to homosexuality’s extraordinary (and contentious) issue status instead of what it probably really is: a normal biological occurrence. As such it is not to be used as a basis of discrimination or special status. No further comment is necessary.
So, who cares whether Dumbledore is gay or not. It does not add to or detract from my reading experience of the Harry Potter series.
November 13th, 2007 at 3:52 am
After hearing this tidbit on the national news, I told my 13 year old (who loves the Harry Potter series). Her answer was “yeah, so?”
I agree with both of you. The sexual orientation of this character had nothing to do with the books, and it is such a strange issue to bring up now, after the series has been finished.
J.K. Rowling did a wonderful thing by creating a story-line that sparked the imaginations of millions of children. Now she is using her creation as a platform for political activism. Frustrating, indeed.