J.K. Rowling ‘Outs’ Dumbledore: He’s Gay!

By Anastacia Mott Austin

On her first book tour in the United States in seven years, world-famous author J.K. Rowling shocked a New York audience at Carnegie Hall this week by announcing that the character of the beloved Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore is gay.

After a stunned silence, the crowd broke out in applause. Rowling then said, "If I’d known this would make you happy, I’d have told you years ago."

In subsequent interviews, Rowling explained that she had always known that Dumbledore is gay, but didn’t feel the need to reveal the information explicitly.

"It has certainly never been news to me that a brave and brilliant man could love other men," said the author to reporters.

Reaction from fans has been decidedly mixed. Fan website The Leaky Cauldron (www.leakycauldron.com) posted many mixed reactions. Many were enthusiastic about Rowling’s decision to "out" the character: "To have one of the coolest, most respected wizards in history and mentor of Harry Potter as gay, is the bravest move JKR has ever made. I salute her," wrote one fan.

Others were not so supportive. "…if Rowling wants creds, she should have Dumbledore out himself. Because having the author say it in a speech? That's just fan [fiction]. It ain't official if it ain't in the canon," wrote another blogger. In other words, it’s not cool to "out" someone else, even if he’s your own fictional character.

Still others felt that raising the question of homosexuality had no place in a children’s book, and some felt that the announcement was simply Rowling’s way of getting back at those who have criticized her book as being non-Christian, pro-witchcraft propaganda.

And of course there are those who insist they knew all along.

Others felt it was a non-issue. "Regarding the recent news, I see no real point to it, including the hype. So he was gay. Does this change who he was? Does it change his role in the books?" wrote a Leaky Cauldron subscriber.

In case you’ve been under a rock for the last ten years, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter children’s book series is the most popular of its kind in history, selling over 335 millions copies and making Rowling the world’s first billionaire author.

Four of her Harry Potter books have broken record sales for the fastest-selling books ever. The final chapter in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, currently holds the record.

Claiming a literary "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy, Rowling claims she never mentioned the fact of Dumbledore’s sexuality because no one ever asked her.

And she’s sticking to her story, telling reporters, "He is my character. He is what he is, and I have the right to say what I say about him."