Artwork from Gina Pitkanen, one of the best illustrators alive.
J.K. Rowling revealed that Albus Dumbledore, the heroic headmaster at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series is gay.
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.”
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.
This will create small stir within certain circles as well as add fuel to the fire of fundamentalists who will now link homosexuality and witchcraft and these books. But I think it is great. JK Rowling, for whomever gets this piece of information, allows us to all know ‘one more gay person’ even if they are fictional.
