I argued in one of the multiply blogs I visited yesterday that an actor’s – or anybody else’s - sexual orientation should not matter at all. Now opening my PC what do I have here screaming? Dumbledore of the Harry Potter Series fame is gay!
I’m posting this piece of trivia for two reasons: 1) I found out in my last visit that although there seems to be more tolerance on gays in the Philippines, it is nevertheless not easy to be one there. So the words of wisdom of JKR- no less- on this topic would, I hope, help bring some fresh wind to our still bigoted countrymen and women. And
2) a German friend of mine had asked me to help conceptualize a seminar next year on Filipino masculinity. By way of Dumbledore’s outing , inputs from all of you on this matter will be highly appreciated by this blogger.
J.K. Rowling outs Hogwarts character
By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer1 hour, 47 minutes ago
Harry Potter fans, the rumors are true: Albus Dumbledore, master wizard and Headmaster of Hogwarts, is gay. 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.
Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
34 Kommentare:
I got the news at 4pm this afternoon.
What I don't understand is why Rowling had to "out" the character this late? It would be curious how Michael Gambon, the current "Dumbledore", would react to this.
Interesting, and how do you react to it, Danny?
It doesn''t matter to me if Albus was gay (or not) or if he fell in love with Gellert Grindelwald (or not).
But as I said, I don't understand why or what Rowling is up to by "outing" "Dumbledore" this late. (Maybe she didn't want to confuse the children.)
(A not so PC comment: Richard Harris might turnover in his grave, hehe)
doesn't matter. nobody cares about this stuff.
i was reading your title and was wondering who is gay again? sorry, i didn't watch any harry potter movie nor read any of the books so that explains. anyway, he's gay, wentworth miller may be gay, who else? i don't think many people cares what they are in this era.
I find your comment in open and close parenthesis interesting, Danny. My children grew up here in Europe where there is a relatively more liberal attitude towards gays and lesbians (same sex marriage is allowed here) so it is very natural for them to mingle with our homosexual friends. But I know what you mean by children being 'confused' by such concept in a less tolerant society like the one we have back home.
this whole thing is J.K. rowling getting pissed off coz the hype of the last book died really quickly. and now she's trying to get people to talk about it again by stirring up controversey. lame.
Thanks, yaniamor, but do you really think JKR still needs to stir controversy to sell her latest book? She doesn't need cheap gimmicks, she's got enough money in the bank!
its not about money. its a pride thing. she wants people to talk about her again.
That was the first thing that came into my mind when I heard the news. That Rowling wanted to stir and haul people to the bookshops to buy the many unsold copies of the Potter books.
books, authors, controversy, gimmicks, money, bank..... My lips are sealed. LOL !!!!
hahahahaha! now that makes him all the more interesting! =)
no it doesnt.
It is nice to be both rich and famous :)
Honestly, I stopped reading JKR after the 'Goblet of Fire' but I saw a rare docu of her (and rare because she usually doesn't like interviews) and my impression was she's such a down to earth woman who happens to know how to write well. And, as for her success, well, give credit to those savvy marketing men, too.
ha..ha.. .ha... but can you explain in what sense, Pat?
I know just enough about the Harry Potter books to rejoice that the guy isn't a pedophile.
To be serious: I think it's good that children's books have gay/lesbian characters among the heroes.
A seminar on Filipino masculinity? What do you mean, the self-image? Cultural expectations/duties/taboos? Masculinity per se is the same everywhere, I should think.
I would guess, they mean the "macho" character of the Filipino (male).
yes, yes, yes, Ulla! Questions like what's masculine and what's not in the Philippine setting? How does this Filipino self-image of being male interface with it's politics, economy, and culture? Is the Philippines really a patriarchal society? How does being Gay in the Philippines fit into the masculine/femenine social dichotomy? And so on...
Of course, that's one aspect of which, Bong. Honestly, the preparatory committee has still to met so I'm just postulating things here tentatively.
but why is that so, yaniamor?
this is interesting, but honestly, it doesn't matter if he is, right?
I don't know much about the specific Filipino masculinity, but I'll think about how I'd organize the seminar if it were about Danish or Kashmiri masculinity - it ought to be the same in principle although not in content. Okay?
Oh, I'll be grateful, Ulla. Thanks :-)
dirty old gay man hahahaa
Perhaps it can help conceptualize when the question "what do we want to achieve with the whole thing" is presented on the table.
I am goal oriented, so I often set my goals first then work on the path toward those goals.
he...he...marky, you promised me an input on this seminar, remember?
I'm still with Philippinenbuero, Bong, although no longer in its board. The seminar is actually in line with the discussion on Gender and Development (GAD). We had already before a seminar about women and gender, not it's the gentlemen's turn.
as an input, try googling the latest result on the global ranking on gender sensitivity. of the top ten, only one country is from "developing" economies; its the philippines. the rest are mostly scandinavian.
oh, daghang salamat, DAve!
and here's another input: http://davidllorito.blogspot.com/2006/11/heres-to-women.html
its called the "gender gap report." i provided the link to that report.
wow, Dave, can't believe that the Phils. is just one notch below Germany in this ranking! Hep, hep hurray!
because it makes him more human, i suppose. =) i'm glad rowling is using harry potter as a plea for tolerance. =) it would be good for kids to know that not all gays are a) dying of aids b) histrionically artistic c) unproductive marginalized members of society.
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